Rail unions industrial and strike action 2024

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

That’s interesting to hear.  It’s not been my experience in the depots I know well, but it sounds like there might be variations regionally then, and no actual ban on them being members, and I stand corrected.

[IndustryInsider]

Latest ballot results:

Great Western Railway
Are you prepared to take part in industrial action consisting of a strike?
YES 981 (90.83%)
NO 99 (9.17%)

Are you prepared to take part in industrial action short of a strike?
YES 1051 (97.50%)
NO 27 (2.50%)

Turnout: 76.11%

[ChrisB]

Surely, the % figures ought to be of those entitled to vote, not that did vote?

[grahame]

Surely, the % figures ought to be of those entitled to vote, not that did vote?

69% of those entitled to vote actually voted that they were prepared to take part in a strike, and 74% that they would take part in industrial action short of a strike.   Those are impressive figures when you compare them - for example - to our local Police and Crime Commissioner vote the other week, where only 22% voted and only 31% of them for the chap who got the job - so that's around 7% of those entitled to vote.

As a pendant,  if I were a train driver and was asked "Are you prepared to take part in industrial action consisting of a strike?" if the truth be know, I would probably have voted "Yes".  But not because I wanted to strike, and irrespective of what I though of the case.  The biggest influence on my binary decision would be the knowledge that for years to come I would have to work alongside my colleagues and if I was not prepared to go strike ... memories are long, and there is much to be said for going along with the group decision.   The question asked was "are you prepapred to take part" and not "do you want to take part".

[ChrisB]

Whose neck do you hang around?

[grahame]

Whose neck do you hang around?

Oh indeed - my answer is the pragmatic one, and not showing any strong desire to take a different and perhaps difficult path to my colleagues.  I admit I am a coward.

[IndustryInsider]

Surely, the % figures ought to be of those entitled to vote, not that did vote?

I would agree if there was any attempt to hide the turnout figures, but it’s all there and pretty transparent IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).  And still a very strong mandate.

[ChrisB]

Whose neck do you hang around?

Oh indeed - my answer is the pragmatic one, and not showing any strong desire to take a different and perhaps difficult path to my colleagues.  I admit I am a coward.

Re-read your post....

As a pendant,  if I were a train driver .....

[grahame]

Re-read your post....

As a pendant,  if I were a train driver .....

Darned smell correct!

[TaplowGreen]

Surely, the % figures ought to be of those entitled to vote, not that did vote?

As a pendant,  if I were a train driver and was asked "Are you prepared to take part in industrial action consisting of a strike?" if the truth be know, I would probably have voted "Yes".  But not because I wanted to strike, and irrespective of what I though of the case.  The biggest influence on my binary decision would be the knowledge that for years to come I would have to work alongside my colleagues and if I was not prepared to go strike ... memories are long, and there is much to be said for going along with the group decision.   The question asked was "are you prepapred to take part" and not "do you want to take part".

Voting in (what I assume?) was a secret ballot doesn't bind you to a particular course of action regardless of the outcome of that ballot. You should vote with your conscience.

It's a shame if people are still being ostracised and/or intimidated in the way you suggest may happen, in my public sector days I crossed plenty of picket lines which were often manned by colleagues and beyond a little short term tension occasionally it never affected friendships or working relationships longer term.

I think one of the joys of living in a democracy is that people are permitted to hold and express different views and act accordingly without fear of repercussions. If anyone seeks to suppress this by any means, it's them that should be held to account, as we all know where that road ends.

[grahame]

On this day - 24th May (2021)
Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, paving the way for the first national rail strike since 1994

And here we are, three years later ... industrial action still so regular that it's become a standard reason given to me when people explain why they don't use the train - "we can't rely on it".  When will it ever end?

[plymothian]

Seeing as we're now 6 weeks from a general election, certainly not soon.

[grahame]

Seeing as we're now 6 weeks from a general election, certainly not soon.

Six weeks later, new government - what happens now?

[TaplowGreen]

My money would be on either "more constructive talks to take place" or perhaps some minor concession which allows both sides to claim "victory" and save face.

The dispute which the Government wants to get out of the way is the junior Doctors, and that's where the chequebook will be opened and the money will be going - the rail unions will be some way back in the queue in this context.

[IndustryInsider]

Six weeks later, new government - what happens now?

I reckon there will be an offer of a 'no-strings-attached' pay rise soon (quite a small one in poercentage terms) with a commitment to discuss a further increases with associated work practice reforms (i.e. with strings attached) on an individual operator basis rather than as a whole.

Exactly how the Tories should have approached it after their first offer was rejected.