Rail Strikes

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Today is the first day of three 48 hour strikes affecting National Express lines in and out of Liverpool St.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8175785.stm

Aslef are demanding a 2.5% pay increase plus 4% more drivers. Bit weird since they never seem to have the rolling stock when they need it.

The strike is totally unacceptable given the current economic climate where peoples jobs have been made redundant and those that are in work haven't most likely had had a sniff of a pay rise this year let alone one with inflation. Totally selfish act and very unnecessary given the poor service that's provided at times. I passed some pickets this morning.. I'm not to sure if they'll get too much public sympathy on this matter which stinks tbh. 21st Century and the unions are still allowed to hold the country to ransom.

I'm quite prepared to add an hour or so on to my journey each day to make sure the unions don't always get want they want.


For those travelling in, how did you get in this morning?

I drove to a c2c station and got the train from there. Took me into Fenchurch St. and a 10 minute walk in.
 
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They want a 4 day working week? Why? Surely they'd be earning less.

edit: Aren't National Express losing this franchise soon? I wonder how the government would handle something like this.
 
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Was wondering how you were going to get to work today Huddy, glad to see that you managed to get around the unjustified strikes ok :)

I love the way that the only strikes which we get now are always spearheaded by Bob Crow, maybe a sly assassination would put an end to them for good ;)
 
Ugh, strikes. How anyone can strike in this climate is a joke, fire all those ****ers and I'll have a job, thanks.

Regards,
Skyfall
Proud scab
 
Basicaly they think because they are a public requirement for most of the country they can somehow get away with being greedy tossers.

No sympathy for them what so ever.
 
I was considering driving to Basildon and getting the c2c -> Fenchurch St. myself (5 min walk the other end).

But I have the ability to work from home, so I'm doing so for today and tomorrow.
 
Union's irk the crap out of me, yes back in the day when poor people were REALLY poor and we had people like in china and india sewing shoes for 4p a day they did help. Now they are simply about screwing everyone to make more money.

The thing is, if you disband unions bosses would take advantage of it very quickly, theres no real best way, though at this point people working on trains, and drivers are simply getting paid too much and striking for more money is a joke. But this is the problem of too few real jobs in the uk, people take what they can get, then you end up with a few highly qualified inteligent people in crappy jobs like driving a train who are pee'd off they are making very little cash.

realistically people need to sign up as train drivers knowing they won't make great money and live with it. People used to move on, or move up when they wanted more money, with few jobs and less options now people want more money without the new job so people strike.

It seems distasteful at the best of times to strike for an above average wage increase for doing a very basic job. BUt to strike during a recession when lots of other people are losing their jobs is simply disgusting.
 
I'm fortunate enough to be able to walk to and from work but I really feel for anyone who has to use the tube or other rail services.

It really winds me up, it's so unbelievably selfish and 99% of their demands are completely unreasonable and unrealistic, particularly given the current economic climate.

Sack the lot of them!
 
Absolute outrage demanding pay rises and holding us to ransom. They are only harming teh commuters who pay their wages. It stinks. Sack the lot of em.

I had to get bus (never do buses) cant park at station!!!!!! to becontree, district to barking (severe delays due to signal failure and fire at east ham)change at barking to C2C, rammo'd because everyone esle did the same, get off at fenchurch, district to Westminster, jubilee to Green park!

Still got in 15 mins ealy lol, but left 30 mins earlier.
 
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