Strike dates

@Norkie you can look as sad as you like, but I'm fed up with telling people non jokes posted in the joke thread or those
dissecting jokes will be removed without comment!
 
Last edited:
No worries Chris.
 
i have to say everyone deserves a decent pay rise
the government has got us into this issue with its pathetic energy policy
over the decades so yes they should pay up.
apart from the RMT who are just t***s :ROFLMAO:
 
Why not agree on 10% across the board for everyone, same as pensioners and benefits.
Those still wanting more will be seen as greedy gits and lots of others will be well pleased.
Still below inflation, but its enough to keep roughly in line with most price rises
Everyone has great sympathy for the nurses, but a claim for 17% is just fantasy island territory.
 
Last edited:
Norkie said:
The country cannot afford a 10% rise across the board.
Click to expand...
yup and that is the honest answer, we need to raise tax and NI
we have needed to for the last few years but it has been difficult with the recent issues.
 
I guess it's all down to where your priorities lie. Yes the 17% the RCN is asking for seems high, though that takes into account real term wage cuts since 2010, something nursing has talked about for a decade, funny how it's only this year that other workers have finally cottoned onto this.

Personally I have to say I'd be fairly happy with 10% this year at this point.

As for affording it? 10% across the board would cost about £25 billion apparantly, the same cost as developing the new tempest airplane for the raf to replace the typhoon which cost about £3500 an hour to run. Or what about the replacement for trident nukes at £200 billion, or closer to home where the "track and trace" programme was over £40 billion.

We're happy to dump billions on a whim or war, but not pay fairly for carers, nurses, doctors, train drivers, police and any number of other public sector workers that everyone relies on, except we can't precisely because all these services have been underfunded for so long that people are burnt out, desperate, using food banks, committing suicide, emigrating and finally none of the jobs are attractive so recruitment is dire and so the spiral continues. :cautious::cautious:
 
Donnie said:
I guess it's all down to where your priorities lie. Yes the 17% the RCN is asking for seems high, though that takes into account real term wage cuts since 2010, something nursing has talked about for a decade, funny how it's only this year that other workers have finally cottoned onto this.

Personally I have to say I'd be fairly happy with 10% this year at this point.

As for affording it? 10% across the board would cost about £25 billion apparantly, the same cost as developing the new tempest airplane for the raf to replace the typhoon which cost about £3500 an hour to run. Or what about the replacement for trident nukes at £200 billion, or closer to home where the "track and trace" programme was over £40 billion.

We're happy to dump billions on a whim or war, but not pay fairly for carers, nurses, doctors, train drivers, police and any number of other public sector workers that everyone relies on, except we can't precisely because all these services have been underfunded for so long that people are burnt out, desperate, using food banks, committing suicide, emigrating and finally none of the jobs are attractive so recruitment is dire and so the spiral continues. :cautious::cautious:
Click to expand...
A well reasoned post. But, sadley I doubt anything will change for the better :(
 
Cobra said:
A well reasoned post. But, sadley I doubt anything will change for the better :(
Click to expand...
Agreed. It's now 2am in NICU, most of the staff including myself havent had a break (Ive literally just popped on here for some mental relief!) as we've one very poorly, another being transferred in from another hospital, another we are sending to GOSH for a cardiac anomoly and labour wards just told us they're about to section a 31 weeker that they have serious concerns about! Plus I've already admitted a baby from the postnatal ward and been to 2 other emergency calls since start of shift at 8.30pm.
Just another night in the NHS!
 
Donnie said:
I guess it's all down to where your priorities lie. Yes the 17% the RCN is asking for seems high, though that takes into account real term wage cuts since 2010, something nursing has talked about for a decade, funny how it's only this year that other workers have finally cottoned onto this.

Personally I have to say I'd be fairly happy with 10% this year at this point.

As for affording it? 10% across the board would cost about £25 billion apparantly, the same cost as developing the new tempest airplane for the raf to replace the typhoon which cost about £3500 an hour to run. Or what about the replacement for trident nukes at £200 billion, or closer to home where the "track and trace" programme was over £40 billion.

We're happy to dump billions on a whim or war, but not pay fairly for carers, nurses, doctors, train drivers, police and any number of other public sector workers that everyone relies on, except we can't precisely because all these services have been underfunded for so long that people are burnt out, desperate, using food banks, committing suicide, emigrating and finally none of the jobs are attractive so recruitment is dire and so the spiral continues. :cautious::cautious:
Click to expand...

As usual with this government when it comes to the ordinary working people of this country there is never any money, but when it's for their people it's thrown around like confetti.

Even using their own methodology which is always warped to justify their decisions their wrong.

The total public sector pay bill in 2021/22 was £233bn. Using the 10.1% average figure for the consumer price index forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility, “the cost would be £23.5bn”.

The government has already agreed to finance a 3% rise, so the extra cost is only £18bn. It could be as low as £13bn if the government’s fresh concessions for teachers and other groups are factored in as “already paid for”.

Ministers should also expect to get back about 30% of the extra spending from higher income tax and VAT receipts, reducing the bill to £8.5bn.

The RMT has called for a minimum of 7%, while some healthcare unions have suggested they would accept a similar amount. If all public sector workers were offered 7% rather than 10%, the total extra bill would come down from £18bn to nearer £12bn – about £9bn with extra concessions stripped out. About £4bn would flow back to the Treasury in higher tax receipts, leaving an extra £5bn bill.

A below-inflation public sector pay rise will not increase inflation, especially if lower-paid staff are the biggest beneficiaries of a deal. The public sector does not increase its charges to reflect higher staff pay, as private-sector firms might. The extra spending power given to public-sector workers pay is also likely to be spent on energy bills and food, which are costs dictated by global markets.
 
I wish that the media would go on strike and stop talking things up. I think that I'll get a couple of bottles in and lock myself away for a few months until the sunshine returns to life. "I may be gone some time!" as some famous person once said!
 
Donnie said:
I guess it's all down to where your priorities lie. Yes the 17% the RCN is asking for seems high, though that takes into account real term wage cuts since 2010, something nursing has talked about for a decade, funny how it's only this year that other workers have finally cottoned onto this.

Personally I have to say I'd be fairly happy with 10% this year at this point.

As for affording it? 10% across the board would cost about £25 billion apparantly, the same cost as developing the new tempest airplane for the raf to replace the typhoon which cost about £3500 an hour to run. Or what about the replacement for trident nukes at £200 billion, or closer to home where the "track and trace" programme was over £40 billion.

We're happy to dump billions on a whim or war, but not pay fairly for carers, nurses, doctors, train drivers, police and any number of other public sector workers that everyone relies on, except we can't precisely because all these services have been underfunded for so long that people are burnt out, desperate, using food banks, committing suicide, emigrating and finally none of the jobs are attractive so recruitment is dire and so the spiral continues. :cautious::cautious:
Click to expand...

If we are talking wastes of money, I give you...HS2. Billions spent to save rich businessmen 20 minutes; money that would have been better spent upgrading the rail links in the North of England.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Norkie said:
Merry Christmas everybody (y)
View attachment 375663
Click to expand...
.... Who decides which dates these people go on strike?

And why arrange the strike dates to maximise inconveniencing the general public?

Driving examiners? Really? They are having a very long Christmas holiday!
 
ShinySideUp said:
If we are talking wastes of money, I give you...HS2. Billions spent to save rich businessmen 20 minutes; money that would have been better spent upgrading the rail links in the North of England.
Click to expand...
.... Does HS2 have any benefits for freight train operations? < To answer my own question, I understand it does, and it's major!

I ask because rail freight is more important than passenger train traffic. [And freight trains are far more interesting to photograph :D ]
 
Last edited:
The increase in freight transport is not actually on the HS2 railway apparently. Wading through the obfuscation on the HS2 website reveals that an increase in freight transport only comes about because of the space freed up on the normal railways for freight trains. Now how much passenger travel will be removed from normal railway tracks is unknown; I have looked and there are no figures that I can see, therefore we cannot know how many conventional passenger trains will be permanently cancelled in favour of freight.

During my searches, I did come across this site: Stop HS2, which is a whole lot easier to navigate for information than the HS2 site: HS2 website. Of course they have their agenda as do HS2 supporters but the StopHS2 site seems to have a lot more evidence to support their case against the new train.

I personally don't think that HS2 can be stopped now as too much money has been put in, although it may be that the next Labour government (yes, even as a Conservative, I cannot deny the likelihood) may well stop it and blame the Conservatives for wasting a lot of money. However, I think this first leg between London and Birmingham will be the last.

I also think, since they were adamant they were going ahead with the project, that it should at least have started in the North and come South, rather than the other way round.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
RedRobin said:
.... Who decides which dates these people go on strike?

And why arrange the strike dates to maximise inconveniencing the general public?

Driving examiners? Really? They are having a very long Christmas holiday!
Click to expand...

...With regard to RMT strikes....RMT decide what dates they go on strike, Driving examiners....probably driving examiners decide. It's not as if they are going on strike at the drop of a hat, they have given plenty of notice of the days they intend to walk out of work.

A strike would be pretty pointless if they decided to walk out on days with least inconvenience.

I doubt many who have been put into a position of going on strike treats it as a holiday.
 
RedRobin said:
.... Does HS2 have any benefits for freight train operations? < To answer my own question, I understand it does, and it's major!

I ask because rail freight is more important than passenger train traffic. [And freight trains are far more interesting to photograph :D ]
Click to expand...
I can't imagine anybody being against HS2. You only have to look at the economic miracle that hs1 has brought to South East Kent.

Millions of happy commuters traveling gleefully to and from London and our roads completely free of lorries. If HS2 can bring a fraction of this is cheap at 10 times the price /s

Btw train fare to London is about £1.20 PER MILE but don't expect a seat for that. You could use the M20 instead but it's been restricted so they can park lorries on it for all of human history.
 
mex said:
A strike would be pretty pointless if they decided to walk out on days with least inconvenience.

I doubt many who have been put into a position of going on strike treats it as a holiday.
Click to expand...
Christmas eve is a bit mean spirited though from the RMT especially after the last few crap christmas holidays.
I suspect that's more to do with them getting the day off than any strategic advantage.
Same applies to any others who have decided to strike on the 24th
 
tijuana taxi said:
Christmas eve is a bit mean spirited though from the RMT especially after the last few crap christmas holidays.
I suspect that's more to do with them getting the day off than any strategic advantage.
Same applies to any others who have decided to strike on the 24th
Click to expand...
Yes the various train strikes mean that we won't see one family member this Christmas. We've already missed her for a couple of years due to Covid so it's particularly vexing. Another will have to change all his plans because of the Christmas Eve strike - it's just too risky to travel near it. And a friend is paying an eye watering amount to hire a car so she will see her mother over Christmas.

They used to disrupt commuters (presumably as an attempt to inconvenience "bosses") but since that's become somewhat optional it's families and people without cars.

Meanwhile, I ordered several items from Etsy well over a week ago which still aren't here. The sellers do their best, but I can't see many of these independent maker businesses surviving the RM strikes with these particular dates. They don't make enough on their transactions to switch to a courier at the last minute.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Christmas eve is a bit mean spirited though from the RMT especially after the last few crap christmas holidays.
I suspect that's more to do with them getting the day off than any strategic advantage.
Same applies to any others who have decided to strike on the 24th
Click to expand...

I honestly don't see it that way, I don't know about you, but cutting my income is not something i'd take lightly. Maybe look at the reasons why they are striking and look at ways of addressing that,
 
mex said:
I honestly don't see it that way, I don't know about you, but cutting my income is not something i'd take lightly. Maybe look at the reasons why they are striking and look at ways of addressing that,
Click to expand...
I have always been a trade unionist and have been out on strike myself.
Also know a bit about the railway,my brother in law was a driver and worked for them for nearly fifty years.
So I realise that you strike at times that will have the most effect, but is Christmas Eve really doing that?
Rest days have always been worked so I suspect many would take Christmas Eve off knowing that cash will be made up pretty swiftly.
If you were going to strike and lose cash would you prefer a random odd day or one that extends your holiday?
All this will do is cause grief to ordinary people, not the bosses or MP's with chaffeur driven cars
 
Last edited:
Support dwindling for Mick Grinch ?

View: https://BANNED/MrHarryCole/status/1602653672114163715?s=20&t=J7hLNkVAjLGFz1yyyBLOjw
 
Any politician would dream of figures like that.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Yes the various train strikes mean that we won't see one family member this Christmas. We've already missed her for a couple of years due to Covid so it's particularly vexing. Another will have to change all his plans because of the Christmas Eve strike - it's just too risky to travel near it. And a friend is paying an eye watering amount to hire a car so she will see her mother over Christmas.

They used to disrupt commuters (presumably as an attempt to inconvenience "bosses") but since that's become somewhat optional it's families and people without cars.

Meanwhile, I ordered several items from Etsy well over a week ago which still aren't here. The sellers do their best, but I can't see many of these independent maker businesses surviving the RM strikes with these particular dates. They don't make enough on their transactions to switch to a courier at the last minute.
Click to expand...

And this is where the unions could shoot themselves in the foot - I think one large chain (Currys but may not be) has said they will not use RM now, and if I was selling online I would think twice about RM too. This could lead to less income and even more job losses.
 
cambsno said:
And this is where the unions could shoot themselves in the foot - I think one large chain (Currys but may not be) has said they will not use RM now, and if I was selling online I would think twice about RM too. This could lead to less income and even more job losses.
Click to expand...
Many websites have banners saying they don't ship with RM to encourage people to buy. It takes a long time to regain trust.
 
All this overloading already useless courier companies and making the situation worse.
 
I've already tried to send a parcel by Royal Mail but ended up using DPD as RM couldn't guarantee delivery within five days.
 
ShinySideUp said:
I've already tried to send a parcel by Royal Mail but ended up using DPD as RM couldn't guarantee delivery within five days.
Click to expand...

Going by my own recent experiences, I wouldn't expect DPD to be much better.
 
mex said:
Going by my own recent experiences, I wouldn't expect DPD to be much better.
Click to expand...

It got there, not on time, but it got there. I might add that I ordered a dehydrator at the weekend and it came by DPD last night, so one working day arrival. I've never had a problem with DPD; I cannot say the same about Hermes/Evri but that hopeless bunch probably merit a thread all their own.
 
ShinySideUp said:
It got there, not on time, but it got there. I might add that I ordered a dehydrator at the weekend and it came by DPD last night, so one working day arrival. I've never had a problem with DPD; I cannot say the same about Hermes/Evri but that hopeless bunch probably merit a thread all their own.
Click to expand...

No complaints about my Evri driver! Parcel dispatched by Printerpix yesterday with Evri and delivered today at 14.50 :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top