Train Service Disruption Chaos

By : Forum Member
Published 13th December 2016 |
Read latest comment - 16th January 2017

Looks like the southern train services are officially out of bounds for the next few days due to the strikes

The BBC have reported that:

Around 300,000 passengers usually travel on 2,242 Southern services every weekday, but they have been told there will be no trains on any route.

How inconvenient is this!? People are not going to be able to go to travel to work and around this busy time this may cause uprisings with bosses.

The train drivers have said that the strikes are due to: 

The RMT union has staged strikes since April over changes to the role of conductors, and is also planning further stoppages either side of Christmas.

There have also been staff shortages, staff sickness, an overtime ban and other problems such as signal failures.

Sounds like a bad idea to me 


Thanks, Rachael Kennedy
MLS Marketing Team
Comments

Was watching this on the news this morning and feel for anyone caught up in this. Apparently it's compounded by signal failures on some of the tubes, making the London commute a nightmare.

Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary claimed this morning that the leader of ASLEF, the trade union for train drivers, told him to prepare for a decade of strikes when they first met. If that's true, then it sounds like we are sliding into the dark ages of Trade Unions, where it's not really about standing up for workers rights, but causing political disruption. After all ASLEF is affiliated to the Labour party. Maybe political independence would lend them a louder and more sympathetic voice with the travelling public. 

Imagine the outcry if Citizens Advice was affiliated to the Tory party? Or maybe UKIP

I genuinely don't understand the argument though, other than trying to protect jobs. My understanding is they  are striking over who is responsible for opening and shutting train doors? But other services already have drivers responsible for closing train doors, and lets be honest it's not long before we have automated driver-less tube-trains, as already run in other parts of the world. 

Haven't travelled on Southern Rail so no idea what they are like, but listening to the media the service seems to be seriously flawed with people losing jobs as the trains are so unreliable. Now sorting that out and fighting for a better service seems something worth striking about, not delaying the inevitable.


Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn

A lot of the unions are stuck in a time warp (ASLEF, RMT, Unite, PCS) where they still consider a strike as the best way to solve problems.  Fortunately in the UK we have a government that stands up to them, not like our friends across the Channel who capitulate as the first sign of trouble from farmers, to name one group.   

Okay, the government earns a lot from railway franchises so would like to reap the benefit of any savings the operators can make.  One interesting point raised on Sky News this morning was that assaults on female passengers have risen by over 50% since tube trains became driver-only operations; this is happening during the daytime operations as well as late at night.   The unions should clearly make the point that the issue is health and safety as well as safeguarding jobs, then the public may be more sympathetic.  

The tube has been operating for years without any serious upgrading work being done.  This is being rectified but it takes time and the inevitable signal and train failures will happen, coincidentally when there's a tube strike .  One year when there was a tube strike I discovered London Overground, used my tube ticket and avoided a hefty taxi fare.  Only used Southern once, from Kensington Olympia to Watford Junction.  It was busy but at 530pm that should be expected.  


JuliaP

You must see the roads , they are jammed pack of people trying to get to work , it's really pointless and is now getting on peoples nerves 


Thanks,
Andy-C | Pewter World

And next week I believe the baggage handlers are out on strike.... These unions certainly know how to get the public on their side...


Thanks,
Barney

And next week I believe the baggage handlers are out on strike.... These unions certainly know how to get the public on their side...
 

And BA Mixed Fleet cabin crew who are paid less than EasyJet and Ryanair (basic pay).  Even with flying allowances there are reports of them being exhausted and some sleeping in their cars because they cannot afford accommodation in the Heathrow area.   BA decided to cut costs by changing contracts for new recruits, although thankfully there are legal restrictions on the maximum hours they can fly.   

Simple explanation is they earn less in a year than Willie Walsh earns in a day.......


JuliaP

Happy Monday Londoners!

Sounds like total chaos this morning as the Tubes go on strike again.

Be interesting to see how much sympathy is being generated from commuters who are stuck in traffic, adding an extra hours travelling time and late for work


Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn

Wonder how long the rail strikes would last if bank employees handling the salaries of union officials went on strike each time.


Lamppost

Wonder how long the rail strikes would last if bank employees handling the salaries of union officials went on strike each time.”
 

Fantastic  


Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn

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