RMT striking in the interest of safety

[xoggoth]

Mind the gap. In Bob Crow's brain.

[Jog On]

If ever there was a time to 'get the poles in' it would be now.

I have to get a boat up the Thames to get in to work tomorrow. Nice as that sounds it's adding 40 minutes to my journey and it'll be hell on earth (or water) queuing up for them.

Or should I forfeit a day's rate and not come in so they can 'entitle' themselves to exeption from the real world.....

[minestrone]

Looks to me like they are striking to try and make their jobs recession proof and obsolete proof - and playing the 'safety' card.

They have been striking in Scotland and using the same argument.

Trains can have a guard & driver or a ticket inspector & driver. Inspector is a lower pay grade and is not allowed to open the doors.

They have built a new line and the operator has decided to use a ticket inspector/driver set up.

Unions are striking claiming this is unsafe but clearly they have no problem providing staff for the 80% of existing trains with out a guard.

[moorfield]

As for Bob Crow..............he is the biggest single argument for reinstating Birching!!

When are the SAS going to put him in a body bag in his bathtub filled with mystery fluid and his sim cards spread out around him??

Surely this should have been the incoming goverment's top priority rather than this deficit thingy?

[shaunbhoy]

Looks to me like they are striking to try and make their jobs recession proof and obsolete proof - and playing the 'safety' card.

That is exactly what they are doing. The saddest part is them believing that everyone else cannot see that.
As for Bob Crow..............he is the biggest single argument for reinstating Birching!!

[Jog On]

Today's tube strikes are (according to Bob Crowe) all about maintaining enough staff to ensure we are all safe on the tube:

“LU management knew very well that meaningful talks could not proceed while the threat of cuts to safety and safe staffing levels hung over our members heads – their failure to remove that threat sabotaged any prospect of making progress.

“RMT and TSSA negotiators completely demolished the LU/TfL line that the cuts are simply about new technology and the Oyster Card. The planned cuts are part of a multi-billion black hole facing the Mayor due to the costs of the failure of tube privatisation and an attack on funding levels from the ConDem Government.

“Not only are ticket offices and ticket staff jobs threatened but hundreds of other station staff posts are also on the line. It was the presence of those very staff that averted potential disaster in recent incidents involving fires at Euston and Oxford Circus.”

“RMT and TSSA have been presented with a stark choice. We could sit back and wait for a major disaster while safety cuts are bulldozed through turning the tube into a death trap or we can stand up and fight for passenger and staff safety. On Monday we will be making a stand on safety and safe staffing levels on behalf of all Londoners.”

Linky

According to the BBC news the cuts are being announced to reduce the amount of ticket staff due to Oyster cards and machines now mainly fulfilling that role:

The Department for Transport gives £3bn a year to Transport for London (TfL) but this may be reduced by up to 40% as savings are made in Whitehall.

A row about plans to shed 800 ticket-office jobs could be the "tip of the iceberg" unless budgets were protected, according to the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA).

Linky

Looks to me like they are striking to try and make their jobs recession proof and obsolete proof - and playing the 'safety' card.