Mick ‘Grinch’ Holding The Country To Ransom Has Called More Dates To Strike

[Bobbisox1]

I feel for all those people who want to be with their family’s this Christmas, they’ve now included Christmas Eve in their disruption, my opinion is he’s trying every thing he can to bring down the Government, shades of Arthur Scargill, 8% over two years is no good to him, why can’t he see there is no money in the pot to meet his extravagant demands
https://news.sky.com/story/fresh-rail-strikes-planned-over-christmas-as-rmt-union-turns-down-pay-offer-12762377

[Gromit]

Ymb,
Of course I do. A 20% cut to railway funding heralding Great British Trains is on public record. As is Lynch’s opposition to it. Shapps and Williams are the bogey men in this story.

[youngmafbog]

You wrote a lot more than that Brother Gromit.

[Gromit]

Yep, I’m winning the Argument when the personal attacks start.

[Bobbisox1]

Gromit didn’t you call those that didn’t agree with you about a political agenda…..clueless?

[mushroom25]

disputes at some of the individual train companies have been ongoing for a while - the one at Trans-Pennine Express has been going for at least 2 years, maybe more. both sides are well dug in, neither will budge. the staff seem able to sustain the loss of earnings, and the train company just pre-emptively cancel their trains (meaning the cancellations don't get put in their statistics and passengers who have tickets for them can't claim compensation - known as "p-coding").

in the end it will be down to who blinks first, but that could be months away yet. the same probably applies to the more widespread disruption currently being reported.

[sandyRoe]

How much do the shareholders in railway companies receive in dividends?

[JDavis]

Is there any evidence Mick Lynch's goal is to bring down the government?

[Bobbisox1]

He wants extravagant pay rises JD, that aren’t realistic, and he knows it , what would happen if the government were to ‘cave in’ under his demands and that of the Firemen , the nurses, the Ambulance drivers etc? Inflation would go out of control, prices of everything would go up a hell of a lot worse than what we’re seeing right now, we need to get inflation down , you cannot do this with large pay rises!

[Gromit]

JDavis,
Emmie’s brother might not be able to visit her, so the obvious conclusion is the Government will fall. What other conclusion is there ?

[Gromit]

Nurses, Ambulance drivers, train drivers, Post, buses, Heathrow baggage handlers and teachers all striking.
A Government that has lost the plot and in decline.

[Bobbisox1]

Well then, let’s throw all caution to the wind Gromit and give everyone a 25% inflation busting rise eh?

[10ClarionSt]

The RMT and Mick Lynch have my full support. Comments on here are obviously from Blue Rinse Tories. Wouldn't expect them to say anything else.

[zebo]

//Each time he calls his members out they lose a days pay.
He isn't asking them for their opinions on the latest offer.
Is he really working in their best interests?//

I wonder how much of his very generous remuneration he or any other Union mouthpiece will lose?

[andy-hughes]

It's very easy to take an emotive stance to this situation, especially with its timing, so close to Christmas.

But as others have pointed out, Mr Lynch merely conveys the wishes of his union members, he does not create them personally.

Whatever has been offered, the union clearly feels that its members are entitled to more, and that more is available, hence the ongoing strike action.

It is perfectly understanable to take against the RMT for its action, or in fact absence of it, but it is not down to Mr Lynch personally.

[ToraToraTora]

AH: "But as others have pointed out, Mr Lynch merely conveys the wishes of his union members, he does not create them personally" - perlease, he's another Scargill willing to sacrifice his members for personal Glory. Fire the lot of them and then get them to reapply for their own jobs at -20%. Union scum.

[Bobbisox1]

Have you put a blue rinse on your hair TTT? ;0)

[ToraToraTora]

In 1983, I worked in a local authority, I was taken aside and rowlocked by the Nalgo rep, for not taking enough sick time off. I naively said well I've not been sick and he actually said, well if you don't take it then we'll all be looked at. BTW I was never in the union. Leaving aside what they did to the country in the 60s and 70s this underlined my hatred of the unions.

[andy-hughes]

TTT - // AH: "But as others have pointed out, Mr Lynch merely conveys the wishes of his union members, he does not create them personally" - perlease, he's another Scargill willing to sacrifice his members for personal Glory. //

I can't agree.

Mr Lynch, like Mr Scargill before him, is an elected official and if he is not carrying out his duties as his membership expects, they can, and would, elect someone else to represent them,

It is easy to assume that larger-than-life characters like Mr Scargill was, are all-powerful and run the show, but it's an image bolstered by the media, it is not based on actual reality.

[Ellipsis]

As Mick Lynch delighted in pointing out this morning ...

His members lose money when they strike. But the train companies lose nothing - they are compensated by the Government. So there's nothing in it for them to reach a deal, and they haven't.

I have some respect for his argument in general, but no respect for messing up the Christmases of many ordinary people in particular.

There is also the problem that most of the country could do with a payrise, but we can't all have one. Those that are in a position to hold employers to ransom make matters worse for those that aren't ...

[weecalf]

The train owners or who ever they are cant go back to the train travellers again to get money for fares as they have already bled them dry . Trains back to public ownership taxi drivers running country .Keep the Lords on a minimum wage.Now let’s get on with Christmas . away in a …….