Poor comparison, because all the Meghan stuff is subjective. Her truth as opposed to The truth. Spanish practices are specific and should be easily shot down if not true.
But surely if it's an outright lie with what they are saying then they would be sued for reputational damage. Just as the RMT haven't sued and asked for a retraction (insinuating this is true), the same can be said with anything that has been published and no one asking for it to be retracted.
The Royal Family are highly unlikely to sue for reputational damage. Where possible, they follow their guideline, Never explain, never complain. The RMT could certainly make a complaint to the Independent Press Standards Organisation if a newpaper published falsehoods. Here's The Times article anyway, published earlier this year. You and Stainsey can make of it what you will. Railway managers struggle against RMT’s ‘Spanish practices’ Oliver Wright Policy Editor Wednesday June 22 2022, 12.01am, The Times please log in to view this image Rail managers have long complained at what they see as ingrained “Spanish practices” among staff working on the network that are fiercely protected by the RMT union. They claim that any changes they try to make, ranging from break times to the flexible deployment of teams, as well as basics such as the use of new technology, is resisted or seen as a bargaining chip by the union to win concessions in other areas. So what are these so-called Spanish practices and what is their impact on the network? Technology The head of Network Rail claimed yesterday that the RMT repeatedly resisted the introduction of new technology, especially if it was used to carry out tasks that would otherwise be done manually. This is said to have included unions raising concerns about the use of automatic sensors on trains that can check the track for defects. Managers claim that the technology can find flaws which the human eye cannot see but that the RMT insists on continuing to use manual inspections. The RMT is also said to have complained about managers using technology such as FaceTime, Zoom and Teams to communicate with staff during the pandemic because workers had not been consulted. Unions claim that such savings could jeopardise passenger safety and erode the job security of many of their members. Working practices Network Rail say that it is hugely constrained in dealing with track repairs and other problems on the line by inflexible working practices. This can mean sending a whole team of workers on each job, even if the work could be done by a much smaller number of people. Teams of workers also have geographically distinct parts of track for which they are responsible for. This, it has been claimed, makes it difficult to deploy resources effectively to deal with problems. It has been alleged that maintenance crews at Euston station in London are not routinely permitted to complete repairs at King’s Cross station less than half a mile away, and vice versa. In April the RMT also opposed a move put forward by Network Rail to end pandemic restrictions that were put in place to protect workers. These stated that all activities should be undertaken with “minimum resources” and social distancing. The RMT said that it could result in vulnerable workers having to share vans unnecessarily. Entitlements The RMT is also said to rigidly enforce workers’ break times, including the time to walk to a rest area. Huw Merriman, the Conservative chairman of the Commons transport committee, said this year that some railway staff benefited from a rule that allowed them to restart a scheduled break if they bumped into a manager who started a conversation with them. “Imagine your line manager stopping to say hello when you are on a formal break,” Merriman said. “In the office or on site, that’s a positive sign of teamwork. Ludicrously, in the rail industry, the rule book decrees that the break has to restart from the beginning.” Merriman also highlighted rules agreed with unions that despite weekends being the biggest growth market in rail travel, working on a Sunday was still a voluntary option for staff. He said that when England played on a Sunday during the World Cup Finals in 2018, 170 cancellations occurred on Northern Rail alone because they could not get enough staff to volunteer.
Sorry it’s hard for me to believe anything you post now Goldie. You have a history for spreading lies and when caught out, not having the decency to admit it.
Since you've accused me of lying, Stainsey, perhaps you'd be good enough to provide details. My impression is, you're so blinkered about your strikes, you cannot countenance any facts or possible facts that might undermine your position.
I accused you of spreading malicious lies….myths that have been debunked…..I showed you evidence that both sides in the rail dispute admitted they had no knowledge of any such practice taking place….You, being a right wing apologist, are too pig headed to admit you had been hoodwinked into spreading such myths. The fact that you continue to spout such bollox is a shame on your character……all respect I had for you has been lost. Disappointed in you mate.
I'll have to live with the fact that you no longer respect me. I have lots of time for you and your causes. But if you read The Times article, you'll see it details more than just the lunchtime extension point, which YOU raised and now claim to have disproved. There are a number of so-called Spanish Practices alleged. That is the employer's side of the argument. The Times must have felt there was enough evidence of them to publish the article. Maybe we'll learn more when Rail management and Rail unions sit down next to negotiate.
I claim to have disproved them because BOTH sides in the dispute have said they’ve never heard of them……****ing hell man……you had a bad day at the office yesterday, don’t make it two in a row
For the purposes of argument, let us assume you have disproved the Lunch extension argument. What about the other Spanish Practices in the Times article?
At about 22:50 an ACTUAL railway worker tells you why the system is so fragmented and why workers in one area can’t work in another 10 mins down the road. Funny when I worked at BA….I couldn’t take any missing bag reports for BMI…..and their counter was next door. Btw, was that you on QT ?
Well, that was useful because you get both sides of the argument (and no, it wasn't me in the checked shirt - you should know, because you've met me in the pub when BrixtonR was alive!) This is what I'm interested in teasing out, the strengths of both arguments. There doesn't seem to be common ground anywhere, but as I say, when negotiations resume, these issues and the strengths and weaknesses of both sides should come to the fore.
Jesus Goldie, I can’t remember what I had for dinner yesterday…let alone what you look like after that many years Being serious for a second, and without winding you up, it’s quite obvious that the article you printed is there to make out the workers and unions as being antiquated and “dinosaur”, thus being unable or unwilling to change. To do this it spouts either untruths, like I’ve uncovered, or gives work practices that were set by those in charge and obeyed by the actual workers as instructed !! It’s all propaganda……surely that’s obvious ? Change comes about through negotiation……not by implementation.
I agree The Times article is rather one-sided. That's why it's useful to have authoritative voices on the union side responding to the allegations. The current rail dispute is more than just about money so the next round of talks should throw light on the areas of practice where management and unions cannot agree.
The problem I have in this dispute is my inherent distrust of management/government. I mean, in that self same QT programme the lies were there for all to see…and proven in plain sight. I just don’t trust them anymore…..but of course, I would say that
