General (General discussion, talk about anything.)
Owd Codger
The planned strike has more to do with job security than wages. Working from home has reduced rail usage by about 25%, particularly in London and the south east.
The tube drivers, basic wage £55k, £70 to £80 k with overtime and other benefits are concerned about the introduction of driverless trains.
The rank and file RMT members are concerned about redundancy should working from home continue to reduce the need for railway capacity.
The government spent £16 billion on Covid support for the railways. Unless passenger numbers get back to pre Covid levels it is likely the further government support will be insufficient to maintain the existing number of railway workers.
The key to successful strike action will depend on the RMT getting the signal men to strike.
Replied: 1st Jun 2022 at 10:48