On Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:53:33 +0100, Arthur Figgis
wrote:

Recliner wrote:

Privatisation was meant to weaken the railway unions, and maybe it has
in parts, but train drivers still strike. However, at least we no longer
have nationwide rail strikes.

Arguably privatisation - or at least fragmentation - has actually made
drivers stronger, as they can play off the employers to get a good deal.
Driver training is time consuming and expensive, so at least in the
recent past poaching someone else's drivers through better pay or
conditions was worth doing.


Absolutely.

Drivers' pay leapt after privatisation because it was more expensive
to train up your own drivers than to poach someone else's. The result
was a lot of grossly overpaid train drivers.

Bus drivers have a far more difficult job yet get paid much less,
typically only slightly more than half the wages of train drivers.