The government are being dickheads, they claim to give in to pay demands will spark other pay demands, but that's already happening as I predicted it would do with the initial rail strike, so for me the government need to rethink their position. Most the public will support Nurses/NHS but may not support other pay demands, regardless of what the unions say - so I would meet with the Nurses and sort this out once and for all, to not do so is plain stubborn, stupid and suicidal. If they had done that, they would keep people like me onside, by not doing so is going to end badly. I think Starmer could put Sunak in a bit of a corner with this, if he plays it smartly. Everyone knows the Nurses will accept less than 19% - it's about how you manage that situation and Steve Barclay needs a slap. Edit: How do you pay for it, TAX people!
I don't think it's too much to ask mate. I'm the only one on here that's in opposition to some things. If Donga and Edel want to turn this into a spam thread, one exists on GC where Duncan and Co will happily entertain them.
This is from Tim Stanley of The Telegraph. A journalist who is anything but left wing by any stretch. 20th Dec (not a rail strike). "This morning at my train station, all ticket machines were inoperable & only one window was open. Massive queue. The train, late, was standing room only. Tonight, heading home, a fault means most trains home are cancelled, all delayed. An industry collapsing before our eyes." Meanwhile, the two highest paid Network Rail directors took home £1m between them. Other rail bosses earning upto £650k, and rail company directors on average £230k. And the shareholders of just ONE rail company (FirstGroup) were paid out £500m (I cba to look up the others). Now I don't have a problem with that. But it's clear these ppl aren't the ones directly on the front line providing the service that Tim Stanley is quoting. That's provided by the workers being represented by the unions. They're the ones whose terms and conditions, their roles and responsibilities are being stripped bare, why the service is as Stanley describes, and that is what they're taking industrial action over as much as for a fair wage to provide that service which so many in this country are dependent upon. So where are those who so vociferously attack the unions for fighting for those rights, when it comes to holding those accountable who are earning considerably more for running it into the ground??
I absolutely agree mate to holding those who are running it into the ground to account - so when are the unions going to target those actually doing that, instead of innocent members of the public. Where do they live, find their homes and picket outside them, although I don't know if that's legal. Those running it into the ground, don't care if members of the public are affected or harmed by union action, much like Royal Mail, they will just pull the plug and take their money, and cause grief somewhere else. At the moment, the mail is stacked high, so the businesses will turn elsewhere for their deliveries, and longer term that will result in more job losses for those Royal Mail employee's
I don't think they can? Not sure it's legal and even if it is, I imagine they'd be demonised for harassment. If the rail service was a beacon of great service the rest of the world looked up to (or even consistently good) then I'd agree with you about the strikes targeting the public. But because it's on its knees, I don't think strikes make any difference to the service. And those who are striking have reached a point where there is no other way of highlighting it. We'll be sleep walking into a trainwreck (pun not literally) before long if someone doesn't make a stand. That's fallen to the workers. It really should be the public tbh but we're just not like that anymore. Probably bcos we're all busy living the rat race.
I think the service that runs from Ebbsfleet into St Pancras is a great service, can't speak for peak times. High Speed trains, new station and the other remodernised. I believe the former at the time cost something like £100 Million to build. Garden of England mate, Tories look after us down South, anyway you got your poor people trams so what you complaining about or are they on strike too.
That's good another win win for the anti union mob. I hear they are going after the poorer tax dodgers next mate, something, something about £2Billion gone missing, hope you got all your avenues covered bro, be a shame you messaging us guys from inside. Although the late night version of 606 could make funny reading as you get chased round your cell, by some sex starved maniac of a bruiser.
Extremely busy service pretty much all day, every day. If you get on at Ebbsfleet you will be lucky to get a seat. Of course only taking 17 minutes to get to St Pancras lessens the inconvenience of not having a seat.
How much do they charge to park there now, the main one door to door - I think it use to be £10 a day, might have been less, but said a tenner to round it up.
