Rail unions strike action 2022/2023/2024

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

I think a change of tactic is likely.  Either an indefinite RDW/favours ban or an escalation of the number of days of action.  I think the RDW/favours ban is more likely, as that will cause huge disruption over summer weekends, but we will see.

Barbecues all round, bruvvers and sistahs!

[TaplowGreen]

I think a change of tactic is likely.  Either an indefinite RDW/favours ban or an escalation of the number of days of action.  I think the RDW/favours ban is more likely, as that will cause huge disruption over summer weekends, but we will see.

Given that there is generally huge disruption over summer weekends, I doubt customers expectations are high in any case?

I think that given the relatively low impact on business/the public, the Government are ready to tough this one out and the Unions should realise this - perhaps there will be some cosmetic face saving concession made to the Unions to facilitate this in order to allow some banner waving and fist pumping by the Micks before postponing the revolution for now and getting back to work.

[IndustryInsider]

As long as the mandate for action stays strong (the recent ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) results are virtually identical to previous ones at around a 90% support for strikes) then I think ‘postponing the revolution’ will remain some way off. 

Potential disruption over weekends would be much worse than any of the usual crew shortages.  Sunday, so far, has not been used as a tactic by any of the unions.  If ‘action short of a strike’ took place, and all HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) drivers were to make themselves unavailable and LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) drivers only worked their committed ones, there would be very few Sunday services operating, instead of the 90-95% that typically run on a ‘bad’ summer Sunday.  Saturday/Weekday timetables would also probably have to be altered.

Though eventually a concession is a likely final scenario of course.

[TaplowGreen]

As long as the mandate for action stays strong (the recent ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) results are virtually identical to previous ones at around a 90% support for strikes) then I think ‘postponing the revolution’ will remain some way off. 

Is the 90% figure reflecting the total membership, or is it 90% of those who voted? What was the turnout?

[grahame]

As long as the mandate for action stays strong (the recent ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) results are virtually identical to previous ones at around a 90% support for strikes) then I think ‘postponing the revolution’ will remain some way off. 

Is the 90% figure reflecting the total membership, or is it 90% of those who voted? What was the turnout?

https://aslef.org.uk/publications/aslef-overwhelming-support-continued-industrial-action

Great Western Railway

Are you prepared to take part in industrial action consisting of a strike?
YES 1044 (90.63%)
NO 108 (9.37%)

Are you prepared to take part in industrial action short of a strike?
YES 1105 (96.17%)
NO 44 (3.83%)

Turnout: 78.45%

[IndustryInsider]

A light drop in turnout which was 84% last time, but support does still remain very strong.  Whether that will be the case if there’s a re-ballot in six months remains far from certain IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

[ChrisB]

There appears to be no ballot results shown in that ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) press release for Chiltern. I wonder why?

Also, of those shown, only GTR Thameslink seems to be losing support for strike action, now down to 85%

[TaplowGreen]

A light drop in turnout which was 84% last time, but support does still remain very strong.  Whether that will be the case if there’s a re-ballot in six months remains far from certain IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

It may be easier to find a compromise (in the case of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) if the somewhat boneheaded insistence by the Union of an "unconditional" pay rise is dropped. They are going to have to accept that getting something for nothing is not going to happen - perhaps as you have suggested clarification on which ticket offices are to go and which remain would be useful and something which may provide something to work on - if a significant/greater than expected number remain open it may be something Bruvver Mick could present as a "victory" which along with perhaps a very slight increase in the pay offer would get it over the line?

[ellendune]

A light drop in turnout which was 84% last time, but support does still remain very strong.  Whether that will be the case if there’s a re-ballot in six months remains far from certain IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

It may be easier to find a compromise (in the case of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) if the somewhat boneheaded insistence by the Union of an "unconditional" pay rise is dropped. They are going to have to accept that getting something for nothing is not going to happen - perhaps as you have suggested clarification on which ticket offices are to go and which remain would be useful and something which may provide something to work on - if a significant/greater than expected number remain open it may be something Bruvver Mick could present as a "victory" which along with perhaps a very slight increase in the pay offer would get it over the line?

I may have got this wrong, but my recollection was not that it had to be unconditional, but it must not depend on unspecified and unknown conditions that had not been negotiated.  Something on the lines of accept "x% and you agree to any change in conditions we might dream up in the next few months". That is very different.  I wouldn't accept a deal which had conditions that did not know about. Would you?

[TaplowGreen]

A light drop in turnout which was 84% last time, but support does still remain very strong.  Whether that will be the case if there’s a re-ballot in six months remains far from certain IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

It may be easier to find a compromise (in the case of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) if the somewhat boneheaded insistence by the Union of an "unconditional" pay rise is dropped. They are going to have to accept that getting something for nothing is not going to happen - perhaps as you have suggested clarification on which ticket offices are to go and which remain would be useful and something which may provide something to work on - if a significant/greater than expected number remain open it may be something Bruvver Mick could present as a "victory" which along with perhaps a very slight increase in the pay offer would get it over the line?

I may have got this wrong, but my recollection was not that it had to be unconditional, but it must not depend on unspecified and unknown conditions that had not been negotiated.  Something on the lines of accept "x% and you agree to any change in conditions we might dream up in the next few months". That is very different.  I wouldn't accept a deal which had conditions that did not know about. Would you?

I refer you to replies 548, 549, 552 & 554 on this very thread.

This will help too (3rd para)

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-02-10/rmt-union-rejects-latest-dreadful-offer-amid-rail-dispute

[Red Squirrel]

Do we think that either party actually wants to resolve this dispute?

[TaplowGreen]

Do we think that either party actually wants to resolve this dispute?

Fair point and good question.

I don't think the Government is too bothered as it's having very little effect beyond inconvenience and isn't going to lose them many votes - people are simply finding alternatives.

Of the Unions, Lynch is happy to use it as a vehicle for his own profile & political grandstanding - he's clearly enjoying the attention.

In many ways, two cheeks of the same arse?

[IndustryInsider]

A light drop in turnout which was 84% last time, but support does still remain very strong.  Whether that will be the case if there’s a re-ballot in six months remains far from certain IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

It may be easier to find a compromise (in the case of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) if the somewhat boneheaded insistence by the Union of an "unconditional" pay rise is dropped. They are going to have to accept that getting something for nothing is not going to happen - perhaps as you have suggested clarification on which ticket offices are to go and which remain would be useful and something which may provide something to work on - if a significant/greater than expected number remain open it may be something Bruvver Mick could present as a "victory" which along with perhaps a very slight increase in the pay offer would get it over the line?

To my knowledge ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) have never made any demand that a pay rise would be “unconditional”.

[TaplowGreen]

A light drop in turnout which was 84% last time, but support does still remain very strong.  Whether that will be the case if there’s a re-ballot in six months remains far from certain IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

It may be easier to find a compromise (in the case of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) if the somewhat boneheaded insistence by the Union of an "unconditional" pay rise is dropped. They are going to have to accept that getting something for nothing is not going to happen - perhaps as you have suggested clarification on which ticket offices are to go and which remain would be useful and something which may provide something to work on - if a significant/greater than expected number remain open it may be something Bruvver Mick could present as a "victory" which along with perhaps a very slight increase in the pay offer would get it over the line?

To my knowledge ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) have never made any demand that a pay rise would be “unconditional”.

That would be why I stated specifically "in the case of the RMT"

[ellendune]

I refer you to replies 548, 549, 552 & 554 on this very thread.

This will help too (3rd para)

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-02-10/rmt-union-rejects-latest-dreadful-offer-amid-rail-dispute

Unfortunately if you select the option to have the most recent posts at the top they are numbered from the top. So it is very difficult to identify which posts you refer to.