The PM has not ruled out a ban on tube strikes as part of the next Tory manifesto.
What do you make of this?
I for one would be in support of banning all strikes on the underground that have
1. Not gone to compulsory mediation in the first instance; and
2. Not then got the majority vote of 50% plus 1 to go ahead.
Within the article you will see Bob Crow spouting off that "Throughout history hard-right governments of the rich, for the rich, have swung the axe at the unions and it will be Tube workers today and firefighters and nurses tomorrow." For me, I fail to see how for tube strikers this is about wealth. We all know the reported salaries the tube drivers themselves earn, such as the reported case of one tube driver earning over £60k a year, almost as much as an MP. I don't claim to know everything about what TFL staff get, but I don't see how they can all really have it that tough. In fact, some of the benefits are as follows:
(1) 30 days holiday a year
(2) Free oystercard travel for themselves and a person living in the same house ( savings obviously vary depending on where you live, but typically you are looking at probably about £3k worth of free travel here )
(3) cosy pension arrangements
(4) 75% discount on National Rail season ticket (can also get a season ticket loan)
(5) private medical insurance
Even those entering the graduate scheme earn a minimum of £26k a year.
In light of all this I really do not see how those working for TFL get it all that bad. I'm not saying there should be redundancies and I'm not saying they should never be allowed to strike, but there should be more stringent barriers to letting them. Crowe goes on to say "Any attack on RMT Tube members' rights will be met by an all out campaign of industrial and political opposition." Well what about the rights of all other working in London? All of us who are held to ransom by the rights and grievances of tube workers? It's all about them and there never seems to be any compromise on their part. Meanwhile all we as workers in London can do is just sit tight and take it on the chin. Where's the fairness in that?
What do you make of this?
I for one would be in support of banning all strikes on the underground that have
1. Not gone to compulsory mediation in the first instance; and
2. Not then got the majority vote of 50% plus 1 to go ahead.
Within the article you will see Bob Crow spouting off that "Throughout history hard-right governments of the rich, for the rich, have swung the axe at the unions and it will be Tube workers today and firefighters and nurses tomorrow." For me, I fail to see how for tube strikers this is about wealth. We all know the reported salaries the tube drivers themselves earn, such as the reported case of one tube driver earning over £60k a year, almost as much as an MP. I don't claim to know everything about what TFL staff get, but I don't see how they can all really have it that tough. In fact, some of the benefits are as follows:
(1) 30 days holiday a year
(2) Free oystercard travel for themselves and a person living in the same house ( savings obviously vary depending on where you live, but typically you are looking at probably about £3k worth of free travel here )
(3) cosy pension arrangements
(4) 75% discount on National Rail season ticket (can also get a season ticket loan)
(5) private medical insurance
Even those entering the graduate scheme earn a minimum of £26k a year.
In light of all this I really do not see how those working for TFL get it all that bad. I'm not saying there should be redundancies and I'm not saying they should never be allowed to strike, but there should be more stringent barriers to letting them. Crowe goes on to say "Any attack on RMT Tube members' rights will be met by an all out campaign of industrial and political opposition." Well what about the rights of all other working in London? All of us who are held to ransom by the rights and grievances of tube workers? It's all about them and there never seems to be any compromise on their part. Meanwhile all we as workers in London can do is just sit tight and take it on the chin. Where's the fairness in that?
