The Tube Drivers Strike.

[j.sabourn]

Somebody years ago said to me as regards the low hours worked ashore that soon people would just stay at home and have their wages sent to them. That has already happened regarding those who don't work and consider the dole their wages and livelihood. With automation there will soon be no workers as such, the government will have no income as regards tax, the country will come to a grinding halt and the world will all be at the level of third world countries. Can remember when the 48 hour week was reduced to 40 and everyone thought were on schoolboy hours. I have never really worked out the hourly rate at sea, but considering it is now a minimum of 84 hours how would this work out as an hourly rate. Here in Australia a FFO labourer on 3000 dollars a week is considered by the media and anti union lobby as exorbidant, this equates to about 37 dollars an hour if my arithmetic is right. To call someone out to look at your washing machine will cost at least 70 dollars and 70 dollars an hour thereafter plus travelling expenses. People tell porkies when it comes to salary structures, the highest paid in the land being the most unproductive if the truth was known. JS

[j.sabourn]

In 1988 considering the average wage of a seaman on a stand by boat was 20 pound a day (for a 84 plus hours if required) also equates to about 1.66 pounds an hour. Not only fools and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, they also go to sea. Maybe those at present at sea would tell us what they equate their hourly rate at 84 hours a week, discounting the fact they are on call for 24 hours a day. Even in Australia where expenses joining a ship were generous they were in very low terms when comparison is made to politicians which is receiving very bad publicity here at the moment., and these are the people lecturing others to be frugal. Laughable if it wasn't so serious. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Driverless trains already operate on some of the London Tube services out to Canary Wharf. NZ has had driverless goods trains for a number of years and yes Singapore does have driverless trains. It is only a matter of time before the workers kill them selves off with ridiculous claims. Free trade agreements such as we have here in Oz with China will see Chinese workers brought into the country to do the jobs that many think are beneath them.
A fair days pay for a fari days work is OK but some are just over the top. We now have our transport guys attempting the same thing.They claim that the company profits should all be paid to the employees.

[John Pruden]

good on the drivers working in a dirty environment dark and like a mouse in and out of tunnels for hours on end my son has a train pass two trips a day total of about 13 miles a day over £600.00 a year train pass,, that's privatisation for you it's cheaper to fly to places in the country than train travel ? jp

[j.sabourn]

John when I was last in UK it was a pound to go 3 stops on the bus. The elderly were at one time issued a free pass for this service which I think has now been rescinded. Public transport what I saw was very expensive. The only thing I saw was cheap was in one of these pubs which are a national chain (forget their name) Happy hour was 1100 to 1200 and the down and outs which you never saw years ago were there on the dot ( Brians Dot maybe) I joined them as was only about a pound a pint. I used to forego the bus walk and presto had an extra pint. Cheers John S

[Ivan Cloherty]

We still have the free bus passes for the elderly, but the English cannot use them in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, neither can any of the others use them in any of countries they are not resident in that's because we are a 'United Kingdom'

[john sutton]

Many years ago nobody wanted to be a tube driver it wasn't a very nice job to be in.However men and women took on this job that nobody wanted and over the years through negotiations they have got to where they are now.I must admit that the present salary that they are on I would consider very lucrative so what there present grudge is I don't know,I realise more money is part of it.When you way it up they are on peanuts to people in the City and nobody worries about the vast amounts of money that these people who put the country on it's knees are earning.I don't think anyone on here would refuse the tube drivers earnings and when you consider the way in which we were ripped off at sea.
Regards.
Jim.B.

jim...same old- same old.What have bankers got to do with greedy tube drivers?

[Jim Brady]

#17 Sour Grapes here methinks,how many on here would refuse that kind of money I'm sure all hands on here would snatch the hand off the person offering this and nobody can deny it.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[John Pruden]

john. s its about £2.40p even if you only go one stop on the bus today john.. jp

[Ivan Cloherty]

EeeeeeH I'm going to get shot down for this. The country needs bankers the same as we need tube and busdrivers and dustmen (sorry! hygiene operatives!). I don't begrudge many of the bankers the rewards they reap, as long as they are honest rewards, but if I was dealing in billions of poundsworth of currencies and trading billions of poundsworth of commodities everyday then I would want suitably rewarding. The 'Suits' are needed just as much as anyone else and although their efforts are not seen in concrete or other edifices, it is the invisible earnings that they engender which keep this country alive. Without the suits and other white collar workers the tube drivers would have no one to transport, so they transport system would need less of them. It's a circle we are all part of the cycle whether we like it or not, so why blame the suits for every ill that happens. Just my thoughts, exocets expected heading south!