UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On Thu, 14 May 2015 15:44:20 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 15:41:03 on
Thu, 14 May 2015, e27002 aurora remarked:
The slogan was once "a fair day's pay for a fair day's work".

I take it that's been abandoned since "a good wage" is by no means the same
thing.

On the "excellent, good, fair, poor" scale, surely we can improve on
fair! :-)

That is the expression that came to mind. I happen to believe it cuts
both ways. The employees at my local SWT station do an outstanding
job. They should

not?

Yes, as in the corrected version.

have to scrimp to survive.

That sounds like an argument to increase the minimum wage, because
plenty of hard-working(tm) people only get that much.

Government should interfere with private contracts only where
absolutely necessary.

I suspect that most jobs on the railway
(except perhaps tube station
ticket office staff)

Now we may observe an enormous public sector folly in real time. Only
a public body could be this stupid. Pity the poor tourist arriving in
London in need of guidance on using TfL services.

are fairly secure, which should also count for
quite a lot.

Employment longevity does not put food in one's children's' stomachs.

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

In message , at 08:10:06 on
Fri, 15 May 2015, e27002 aurora remarked:

Employment longevity does not put food in one's children's' stomachs.

It does, compared with being on the dole.
--
Roland Perry

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On Fri, 15 May 2015 08:10:06 +0100
e27002 aurora wrote:
I suspect that most jobs on the railway
(except perhaps tube station
ticket office staff)

Now we may observe an enormous public sector folly in real time. Only
a public body could be this stupid. Pity the poor tourist arriving in
London in need of guidance on using TfL services.

To be fair the blame can be squarely laid at the door of the blonde buffoon.
TfL simply have to do as their told. God help us if Boris ever becomes PM,
it'll be a ****ing disaster (and I speak as a Tory voter) not least because
the man is bone idle and is more interested in promoting himself than doing
what he's paid to do.

--
Spud

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On 15/05/2015 09:42, d wrote:

On Fri, 15 May 2015 08:10:06 +0100
e27002 aurora wrote:
I suspect that most jobs on the railway
(except perhaps tube station
ticket office staff)

Now we may observe an enormous public sector folly in real time. Only
a public body could be this stupid. Pity the poor tourist arriving in
London in need of guidance on using TfL services.

To be fair the blame can be squarely laid at the door of the blonde buffoon.
TfL simply have to do as their told. God help us if Boris ever becomes PM,
it'll be a ****ing disaster (and I speak as a Tory voter) not least because
the man is bone idle and is more interested in promoting himself than doing
what he's paid to do.

The grant from central government to the GLA for transport has been
significantly cut back.

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On Fri, 15 May 2015 12:59:06 +0100, Mizter T
wrote:


On 15/05/2015 09:42, d wrote:

On Fri, 15 May 2015 08:10:06 +0100
e27002 aurora wrote:
I suspect that most jobs on the railway
(except perhaps tube station
ticket office staff)

Now we may observe an enormous public sector folly in real time. Only
a public body could be this stupid. Pity the poor tourist arriving in
London in need of guidance on using TfL services.

To be fair the blame can be squarely laid at the door of the blonde buffoon.
TfL simply have to do as their told. God help us if Boris ever becomes PM,
it'll be a ****ing disaster (and I speak as a Tory voter) not least because
the man is bone idle and is more interested in promoting himself than doing
what he's paid to do.

The grant from central government to the GLA for transport has been
significantly cut back.

Which was not a goog thing. Although There is almost certainly fat to
be trimmed at TfL in the mamgement rank.

The previous government also reduced policemen's benefits, a very bad
move indeed. One hopes that one day we will have a real, grassroots,
working man's conservative movement in the UK.

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On 15/05/15 13:15, e27002 aurora wrote:
The previous government also reduced policemen's benefits, a very bad
move indeed.

On the contrary, about bloody time.

Ian

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On Fri, 15 May 2015 13:15:58 +0100
e27002 aurora wrote:
The previous government also reduced policemen's benefits, a very bad
move indeed. One hopes that one day we will have a real, grassroots,
working man's conservative movement in the UK.

If they could get rid of the cranks, nutters and dead wood that would be
UKIP. But I can't see it happening anytime soon.

--
Spud

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On Fri, 15 May 2015 12:59:06 +0100
Mizter T wrote:
On 15/05/2015 09:42, d wrote:

On Fri, 15 May 2015 08:10:06 +0100
e27002 aurora wrote:
I suspect that most jobs on the railway
(except perhaps tube station
ticket office staff)

Now we may observe an enormous public sector folly in real time. Only
a public body could be this stupid. Pity the poor tourist arriving in
London in need of guidance on using TfL services.

To be fair the blame can be squarely laid at the door of the blonde buffoon.
TfL simply have to do as their told. God help us if Boris ever becomes PM,
it'll be a ****ing disaster (and I speak as a Tory voter) not least because
the man is bone idle and is more interested in promoting himself than doing
what he's paid to do.

The grant from central government to the GLA for transport has been
significantly cut back.

I don't see how moving staff out of ticket offices and investing in even
more expensive ticketing machines is going to reduce spending. Unless of
course the long term plan is to dispense with said staff in a few years
when they've been deemed to be "ineffective". Though hopefully whoever the
next mayor is can at least stop this in its tracks before too much damage
is done.

--
Spud

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On Fri, 15 May 2015 14:24:45 +0000 (UTC),
d wrote:

On Fri, 15 May 2015 13:15:58 +0100
e27002 aurora wrote:
The previous government also reduced policemen's benefits, a very bad
move indeed. One hopes that one day we will have a real, grassroots,
working man's conservative movement in the UK.

If they could get rid of the cranks, nutters and dead wood that would be
UKIP. But I can't see it happening anytime soon.

I did have hopes. But, they are a longtime maturing into an electable
party.

UK faces first major train strike in 20 years
 

On Fri, 15 May 2015 14:30:36 +0000 (UTC),
d wrote:

On Fri, 15 May 2015 12:59:06 +0100
Mizter T wrote:
On 15/05/2015 09:42, d wrote:

On Fri, 15 May 2015 08:10:06 +0100
e27002 aurora wrote:
I suspect that most jobs on the railway
(except perhaps tube station
ticket office staff)

Now we may observe an enormous public sector folly in real time. Only
a public body could be this stupid. Pity the poor tourist arriving in
London in need of guidance on using TfL services.

To be fair the blame can be squarely laid at the door of the blonde buffoon.
TfL simply have to do as their told. God help us if Boris ever becomes PM,
it'll be a ****ing disaster (and I speak as a Tory voter) not least because
the man is bone idle and is more interested in promoting himself than doing
what he's paid to do.

The grant from central government to the GLA for transport has been
significantly cut back.

I don't see how moving staff out of ticket offices and investing in even
more expensive ticketing machines is going to reduce spending. Unless of
course the long term plan is to dispense with said staff in a few years
when they've been deemed to be "ineffective". Though hopefully whoever the
next mayor is can at least stop this in its tracks before too much damage
is done.


The stranger needs a counter, or a window, where he can ask for help
and be sold the correct ticked regardless of what denominations his
money is in, or what sort of credit card he has.

I have been in exactly this situation in San Francisco. The gates are
automated, tickets are sold by machines that, back then, only took the
correct coins. The one human being on duty told me to leave the
station and come back with right change.

SF Muni is fascinating system. But, I find it hard to consider myself
a fan.