Public Transport

[ladylola]

More private sector involvment in the railways won't help anything. Simple fact is it's impossible to run the railways as a business without government cash being pumped in. They were all virtually bankrupt when they were nationlised despite heavy restrictions being placed on road transport and having a captive market with there being so few cars about at the time and after privatisation in the eighties the government realised that the whole thing would only work by continuing taxpaper monies.
Branson does rip this country off to the tune of billions but I can't see why anybody thinks it's ok to spend our taxes on profits for private companies that don't actually run an efficient business.
£50,000 does sound a lot for a driver although many don't think this sum large for other jobs .There are a lot of people where I live that have just lost their jobs in companies run by directors on £50,.000 and they haven't got a strong union to help them get anything more than the barest minimum in redundancy

 

[merlin50]

liverpool at least the train will still have its wheels on in the morning when you get up

 

[Inky Pete]

What the railways have never had is direct competition between two or more companies running services on the same route. It was suggested at the time of privatisation but the unions threatened all-out strikes.

The unions knew that if there were two companies on a route then their power to hold the customers to ransom would be greatly diminished.

 

[ladylola]

Well there are something like 28 different companies running supposedly in competition with each other on our rail lines and it's costing the country more than when it was simply British Rail so that's a clear indication of how good the splitting up and privatisation of BR has been.
"Diminishing the power of the unions". What that really means is the ability to force down wages with the workforce unable to do any thing about it. Same thing has happened in the construction industry and many others. We are constantly being told about how it is good for the country for huge profits to be made and how we all benefit from the trickle down effect but when the effect is increasing poverty for the masses one really must question this crap.

 

[Inky Pete]

There may be a couple of dozen train companies in the country, but there's only ever one on a particular route. West coast mainline is Virgin, East coast mainline was National Express (until the government took it off them), Trans Pennine is Stagecoach, London Tubes are all TfL, etc. etc.

For a particular journey there is only ever one choice of train company on the most direct route - so there is no competition.

That, and unions who will strike over trivial matters at the drop of a hat, is why a Tube driver can earn far more than a Ward Sister or Teacher!

 

[enyam]

That, and unions who will strike over trivial matters at the drop of a hat, is why a Tube driver can earn far more than a Ward Sister or Teacher!

Should the unions be condemned or praised in their efforts with the backing of the members in securing such lucrative pay.

 

[enyam]

The daughter uses the cross country service from Tiverton to Derby when she comes home from uni during mid term,no problems at all.

 

[Inky Pete]

That, and unions who will strike over trivial matters at the drop of a hat, is why a Tube driver can earn far more than a Ward Sister or Teacher!

Should the unions be condemned or praised in their efforts with the backing of the members in securing such lucrative pay.

The union leaders certainly lose the right to critcise "fat cat bosses" when they're on £150K and more, plus free housing for life!!!

Like I said, they only have the power to extort the deals they do for their members because they work in an artificial tax-payer funded monopoly - nothing at all to do with the unions negotiating skills or what their member deserve.

I mean £1000 a week, plus overtime, plus gold plated pension, plus free travel, plus nearly 9 weeks paid holiday a year! And in their 16 weeks training they just have to learn to press "GO" when the signal is green and "STOP" when the signal is red. No navigating, no steering, no other traffic, and they're not allowed to leave their locked cabs - so no having to deal with the paying public.

 

[Inky Pete]

I just love the song and video on here:-

http://www.bitterwallet.com/london-underground-tube-drivers-we-feel-their-pain/13444

It is VERY sweary though!

 

[Alarm]

Not a train driver but know a few.
Your generalizations are way off.

 

[Biker1959]

That, and unions who will strike over trivial matters at the drop of a hat, is why a Tube driver can earn far more than a Ward Sister or Teacher!

Should the unions be condemned or praised in their efforts with the backing of the members in securing such lucrative pay.

The union leaders certainly lose the right to critcise "fat cat bosses" when they're on £150K and more, plus free housing for life!!!

Like I said, they only have the power to extort the deals they do for their members because they work in an artificial tax-payer funded monopoly - nothing at all to do with the unions negotiating skills or what their member deserve.

I mean £1000 a week, plus overtime, plus gold plated pension, plus free travel, plus nearly 9 weeks paid holiday a year! And in their 16 weeks training they just have to learn to press "GO" when the signal is green and "STOP" when the signal is red. No navigating, no steering, no other traffic, and they're not allowed to leave their locked cabs - so no having to deal with the paying public.

Sounds just like Daily Mail rantings...

 

[Whitespirit66]

Don't bother much with public transport in this country. Bristol has some of the most expensive buses in the UK, and the service is carp. Waiting over half an hour for a daytime bus is nothing.

Just come back from Prague. What a difference. Bueses, trams, metro. Cheap and almost ridiculously regular. Miss one during the day, and another one will be along in 5 mins. Night trams and buses too. Used the trains. All on time with smartly dressed guards. Took a return train trip, over an hour each way. Cost £5 return, and we had our own compartment both ways. Ahh, compartments, remember those. A seat like a settee, your own heating control, and not having to listen to other people's mobile converstions.

Back in the UK, its pay through the nose, and get shoddy service. Thought Prezza was going to give us an intergrated transport system.