O/T Train Drivers!

[Keith]

Not having a pop at any individuals who use this forum but...

Ch4 News have just been reporting the 'lack of volunteer drivers' that caused a loss of rail services today. They reported that train drivers are on £38,000 per year for a four day week and the ASLEF guy who they interviewed was asked 'shouldn't drivers be normally rostered to work Sundays?' He said 'no, why should they?'

Well here's why... because you get paid £38,000 a year you arse! Try being a newly qualified nurse on £17,700 and say you aren't working Sundays "why should I?" Oh, and try not to complain about a 3% pay rise when nurses are getting about 2% and many people are just happy to have a job left through the recession!

Rant from someone who gets paid a lot less than £38,000 for far more than 35 hours a week and who is getting a 0% pay rise next year...

[marky]

Don't get me started on this one. The railway unions, unfortunately, are far too powerful. The reality is that this is a not so subtle bargaining chip on the part of ASLEF. They are in talks over a new pay deal and this is nothing more than a perfectly legal way of putting pressure on First Capital Connect. Sadly, many railway contracts are still in the dark ages. They have always relied on both drivers and conductors volunteering for Sunday working and this arrangement still exists in many areas.

[mrpotatohead]

Does the train driver in happy mount park earn this obscene amount

Seriously though, if we live in a country that pays train drivers more than firemen and nurses, something is very wrong, when unemployment is rife the train drivers should have their pay halved and more should be employed, job sorted

[ockers]

I dont expect one regular forum poster to comment on this keith but my brother drives virgin trains and yes does earn good money but its a private company and thats the rate they pay drivers
from memory i know my brother had to study and pass very difficult exams over a two year period
it is highly skilled and from time to time does work sundays and give up some of his weekends
thats the money they earn like other professions you could make comparisons with
the biggest overpaid people reallty are footballers arent they?
i dont earn anything like the drivers but i dont begrudge that
id just like to see the government more than sort out the mps expenses and pay scandal and pay public sector employees fairly again another debate
lets not have a go at employees who provide a valuable service on the railways and do a very good job whether its £17000 £27000 or £37000 a year
for me id renationalise the railways as they are in france and germany but thats another debate
i certainly wouldnt want to have been the driver who pulled up very quickly at lancaster station yesterday and avoided hitting a woman who threw herself in front of an oncoming train onto the line
she was fine and taken to hospital
rant over

[shrimpnsave]

Not having a pop at any individuals who use this forum but...

Ch4 News have just been reporting the 'lack of volunteer drivers' that caused a loss of rail services today. They reported that train drivers are on £38,000 per year for a four day week and the ASLEF guy who they interviewed was asked 'shouldn't drivers be normally rostered to work Sundays?' He said 'no, why should they?'

Well here's why... because you get paid £38,000 a year you arse! Try being a newly qualified nurse on £17,700 and say you aren't working Sundays "why should I?" Oh, and try not to complain about a 3% pay rise when nurses are getting about 2% and many people are just happy to have a job left through the recession!

Rant from someone who gets paid a lot less than £38,000 for far more than 35 hours a week and who is getting a 0% pay rise next year...

and what do premiership players get paid?????????......................

[Keith]

and what do premiership players get paid?????????......................

I hadn't noticed Premiership players suggesting they shouldn't work on a Sunday?

The point is less about the relative wages, its about earning well above average wages and still asking "why should they" work on a Sunday to earn that money?

[Andy]

My local village bobby thru himself in front of a train 18 months ago and the driver is still off work !!!! I know that doesn't answere Keiths question but there are quiet a lot of railway suicides down here !!

[mrpotatohead]

no disrespect to train drivers intended, but they are not paid over the odds because some selfish person might jump in front of their train at some point in their career, nurses and firemen fully expect to enter traumatic situations on a daily basis, our soldiers get about two years train drivers wages for losing an eye ffs

[Keith]

no disrespect to train drivers intended, but they are not paid over the odds because some selfish person might jump in front of their train at some point in their career, nurses and firemen fully expect to enter traumatic situations on a daily basis, our soldiers get about two years train drivers wages for losing an eye ffs

Perhaps our soldiers in Afghanistan should refuse to fight on Sundays?

lets not have a go at employees who provide a valuable service on the railways and do a very good job whether its £17000 £27000 or £37000 a year...

...unless its a Sunday, in which case, "why should they"?

[mrpotatohead]

Perhaps our soldiers in Afghanistan should refuse to fight on Sundays?



And the rest of the week imo

[ockers]

no disrespect to train drivers intended, but they are not paid over the odds because some selfish person might jump in front of their train at some point in their career, nurses and firemen fully expect to enter traumatic situations on a daily basis, our soldiers get about two years train drivers wages for losing an eye ffs

Perhaps our soldiers in Afghanistan should refuse to fight on Sundays?

lets not have a go at employees who provide a valuable service on the railways and do a very good job whether its £17000 £27000 or £37000 a year...

...unless its a Sunday, in which case, "why should they"?

from a commuter of 17 years on the railways never travel on a sunday keith
never never never never never

[Mighty Red]

In the future all trains will be driverless (apart from the one in Happy Mount Park, obviously).

We will still need nurses though.

[NeilG]

it is highly skilled and from time to time does work sundays and give up some of his weekends

Sounds like radio show production to me Sean ( apart from the salary )

[Richard Head]

Being a train driver is a doddle of a job, they dont even have to steer. All they need to do is accelerate and brake. How much training do you need to do that?

[nobbyshrimp]

My local village bobby thru himself in front of a train 18 months ago and the driver is still off work !!!! I know that doesn't answere Keiths question but there are quiet a lot of railway suicides down here !!

Off work on full pay Yes traumatised probably, stressed most likely but if they're not better after after 3-6mths then they're not going to get over it, ever They should have started dismissal (even on medical grounds with a possible medical pay out) well before now but the trouble is like has already been said, the union is far too powerful. Train drivers are off work at the drop of a hat because if they feel the slighest bit sick or not 100% well then they are not advised to refrain from work and i understand why and agree but 18mths on full pay without a stitch of work with the unemployed like it is. Get real!

[George Dawes]

My local village bobby thru himself in front of a train 18 months ago and the driver is still off work !!!! I know that doesn't answere Keiths question but there are quiet a lot of railway suicides down here !!

Off work on full pay Yes traumatised probably, stressed most likely but if they're not better after after 3-6mths then they're not going to get over it, ever They should have started dismissal (even on medical grounds with a possible medical pay out) well before now but the trouble is like has already been said, the union is far too powerful. Train drivers are off work at the drop of a hat because if they feel the slighest bit sick or not 100% well then they are not advised to refrain from work and i understand why and agree but 18mths on full pay without a stitch of work with the unemployed like it is. Get real!

just what i was going to point out, you will get a percentage of Drivers playing on it, ie. after 12moths saying to the wife, ill see if i can get another 6 months out of it, then i can finish DIY round the house Love



you would have a word with yourself and pull yourself together after a certain amount of time surely? it.s not like you can steer and swerve out of the way driving a train

[marky]

Being a train driver is a doddle of a job, they dont even have to steer. All they need to do is accelerate and brake. How much training do you need to do that?

3 years. There's much much more to being a heavy rail driver than accelerating and braking, that's for sure! I certainly don't begrudge the amount train drivers get paid because they do have a safety critical job, for a start. Everytime they get into that cab they potentially have the lives of hundreds in their hands. I do begrudge the fact that Sunday working isn't part of their contracts, however. If existing drivers refuse to sign new contracts then the easiest way to introduce it would be to have different contracts for new recruits but I rather suspect Bob Crow and his cronies would kick up a massive stink over that.

[Robert Jackson]

Interesting to compare the Virgin train driver's lot with that of a bus driver.

The latter has to negotiate difficult traffic which is getting ever-busier, look out for traffic signals, concentrate on other road users and watch for pedestrians stepping out from the pavement, etc., whilst trying to keep to a timetable.

He has to take money, issue tickets, give change and deal with passenger enquiries and complaints.

At some stage he may also have to deal with late-night drunks, drug addicts and rude school children.

His financial reward is probably about half that of a Virgin train driver.

[heysham_mfc]

Interesting to compare the Virgin train driver's lot with that of a bus driver.

The latter has to negotiate difficult traffic which is getting ever-busier, look out for traffic signals, concentrate on other road users and watch for pedestrians stepping out from the pavement, etc., whilst trying to keep to a timetable.

He has to take money, issue tickets, give change and deal with passenger enquiries and complaints.

At some stage he may also have to deal with late-night drunks, drug addicts and rude school children.

His financial reward is probably about half that of a Virgin train driver.

to be fair many of the points you have make could be used for train drivers as well

[mrpotatohead]

I agree totally, bus drivers have an equal amount , if not more, responsibility, for a lot less pay, for doing the same work, but i do fffing hate binmen

[George Dawes]

I agree totally, bus drivers have an equal amount , if not more, responsibility, for a lot less pay, for doing the same work, but i do fffing hate binmen

there only doing what there told and payed to do, and with a attitude of i pay council tax aswell go complain to the town hall............

[marky]

Interesting to compare the Virgin train driver's lot with that of a bus driver.

The latter has to negotiate difficult traffic which is getting ever-busier, look out for traffic signals, concentrate on other road users and watch for pedestrians stepping out from the pavement, etc., whilst trying to keep to a timetable.

He has to take money, issue tickets, give change and deal with passenger enquiries and complaints.

At some stage he may also have to deal with late-night drunks, drug addicts and rude school children.

His financial reward is probably about half that of a Virgin train driver.

Whilst some of that may be true, it isn't Virgin drivers who are refusing to volunteer to work Sundays so I'm really not sure what this adds to the discussion. By the way, train drivers have to look out for signals just as much as bus drivers. They have to be alert to obstructions on the line at all times. They also have rigid timetables to stick to. Comparing the two is daft, but if I was to chose which was more deserving of the higher wage, train drivers would win by a country mile.

[CASS]

http://www.rodge.force9.co.uk/faq/driver.html

http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/train-driver.html

Interesting !

[durianmuncher]

http://www.rodge.force9.co.uk/faq/driver.html

http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/train-driver.html

Interesting !

Very interesting indeed. I had no idea a train driver's position involved so much and necessitated passing such a high degree and quantity of tests.

It's a shame British Rail, or whatever they are called these days, don't put so much effort into upgrading tracks, points, coaches and keeping to schedules.

[marky]

Very interesting indeed. I had no idea a train driver's position involved so much and necessitated passing such a high degree and quantity of tests.

It's a shame British Rail, or whatever they are called these days, don't put so much effort into upgrading tracks, points, coaches and keeping to schedules.

Ah, but they do! Network Rail spends billions on track maintenance. Schedules are everything to Train Operating Companies. They can be fined when trains are more than 5 minutes late. Indeed, the poor performance of London Midland has seen them put under special measures by the government just this week. As for new stock, it is appearing all the time. Yes, most of it (if not all) is concentrated in the south and the midlands but it is still new. One of the largest stock replacement schemes for decades is occuring right now with High Speed Trains set to be replaced en masse by the new Super Express Train.