- Location
- Limousin, France
Strikes
- Thread starter Banana Bar
- Start date
- Location
- Ledbury, Herefordshire
I mean, it isn't is it?
It's because people pay to go on a train or buy stuff from the shop - they are the only points at which revenue is generated. If you forced the rail companies to actually own the rolling stock and maintain infrastructure, suddenly it would look a lot less lucrative.
- Location
- Ledbury, Herefordshire
- Location
- Limousin, France
British Airways Heathrow staff back summer strikes over pay
About 700 workers at Heathrow Airport vote in favour of industrial action during the summer holidays.
www.bbc.com
BA staff took a 10% pay cut to keep their jobs through the pandemic. BA paid them with furlough money. They want the 10 % back that was taken off them at the start of the pandemic, returning them to pay levels before covid, the 10 % that has been handed back to management but not staff. Wouldn't you be annoyed if you were them?
I find the change in perspective refreshing, she does ramble a bit though. I do not have a copy and am too shy to ask the mobile library to order one in for me, can I borrow yours?
Lets hope nobody is daft enough to take Rand seriously. Her books make "Mein Kampf" look like a work of towering intellect.
- Location
- Ledbury, Herefordshire
I don't own copies, but if you do read her, you should be careful about googling, you'll get to all kinds of weird, incel mysogyny fests on the internet.I find the change in perspective refreshing, she does ramble a bit though. I do not have a copy and am too shy to ask the mobile library to order one in for me, can I borrow yours?
kfpben
Member
- Location
- Mid Hampshire
Seems like everyone’s on bloody strike- finally got in the office at 3pm today after a mad week and no company will answer the phone!
WFH so often means doing F all doesn’t it?
WFH so often means doing F all doesn’t it?
Crossed wires, I meant can I borrow your Mein Kampf copy but never mind!
- Location
- Ledbury, Herefordshire
*For anyone with a copy of MK and no sense of humour, I don't really want to read it!*
- Location
- Fife
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Rolling stock is already in private hands - the problem is that the government. Several train operators have wanted to directly own their own trains, but are prevented by the government & the Railways Act, so they have to be owned and financed by ROSCOs & thus incur costs associated with the leasing process. Much of the day to day operations of the operating companies are dictated by the DfT which has a big impact on profitability and the ability of TOCs to pay premiums back into the pot. You only have to look at the IET/IEP/800 series train procurement that was DfT led... a scheme that took a stupid length of time to deliver trains that aren't as good as the ones that they replaced, cost more to lease & are unsuitable for many of services they serve...
As for maintenance of the infrastructure - the UK has some of the highest costs in Europe and probably the world to a large part because of the structure imposed on our railways that prevented vertical integration along with the interference of the government.
we do have one of the safest railways in the world.
Certainly this week
- Location
- Ledbury, Herefordshire
Yes - the trains are leased to the operators.
As I said those and the shops are the bits that collect revenue.
We pay for the infrastructure.
Because, of course - no company would want to pay for or maintain the infrastructure because that isn't the bit that collects revenue, and if the government can make us idiots pay for it whilst fat cats skim millions off us each year, then they will - because that is how privatisation works.
The rail operators were ready to hand the keys back over COVID, so the government bailed them out to the tune of 16bn, of which they posted 500 million profit (which we effectively gave them), and the two highest paid rail bosses took home £1 million between them (per annum) over the same period, also paid for by us.
Its an absolute scam and a rip off, all based around the utter falsehood that the private sector can run things efficiently - pursuit of profit does not = efficiency and our deregulated infrastructure (water, electric, rail etc) funnels millions abroad to subsidise their nationalised systems and means that we pay through the roof.
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
- Location
- Ledbury, Herefordshire
Is it more or less of a joke than the current system?
I'd say less. Trains still don't arrive on time, services have been cut and they are now way more expensive.
Yes, British Rail was bad, but its now more badly run and costs us more.
Welcome to the future
London aside we don't don't need a train networkIs it more or less of a joke than the current system?
I'd say less. Trains still don't arrive on time, services have been cut and they are now way more expensive.
Yes, British Rail was bad, but its now more badly run and costs us more.
Welcome to the future
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
I don't disagree about the current system but nationalisation has never workedIs it more or less of a joke than the current system?
I'd say less. Trains still don't arrive on time, services have been cut and they are now way more expensive.
Yes, British Rail was bad, but its now more badly run and costs us more.
Welcome to the future
- Location
- Ledbury, Herefordshire
Seems to work just fine in every other European country I've been to.