Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

• Mr Unhappy, Shittown, Once Great Britain

  What else does anyone expect from a Labour goverment, the country is bust,
  millions unemployed, unions now running the county, it always ends the
  same way

• Pete, London

  It's not all about pay apparently. But for the record, Rail Staff have done incredibly well out of privatisation.
  
  Take Drivers. They used to be on a basic of around £12k. That's more than tripled in 12 years. Their hours have been reduced from 39 hours to 35. Their days from 5 to 4 (to be fair they work some Sundays, but this is paid additionally). And unlike most who travel on their services, they get paid for any and all additional hours they work. Their meal breaks are paid (a common benefit of rail staff). They get time to book on and off. They are limited to how much time they drive, and how much time they spend in the cab. In some cases they get taxis to pick them up and take them home.
  
  They still get a final salary pension. Now you might think they've done pretty well. But they are still determined to hang on to, or even increase, the antediluvian work practises that abound in the industry.
  
  They get time off to act as union reps. In some cases they are practically full time union reps, paid for by the company. They try to dictate how many drivers are hired by the company (and are often successful). They often dictate how the shifts are set up (the union reps get time off for this!). When they become unfit for driving they are usually put into makeweight jobs but still retain full pay. When they make mistakes, like going through a red light (known in the industry as a SPAD) do they get sacked? No, they get re-trained, on full pay. Many of them get paid extra just to turn up to work. Why? Because without it sickness rates are very high, which is why you need two drivers for every job.
  
  Reading between the lines, I would guess that NXEA want to change some of these terms & conditions. Any sensible management would, because they increase the cost of staff quite considerably. But as Brother Crow might say (sounding more like Peter Sellers in I'm All Right Jack with every passing month), "It's a diabolical liberty".
  
  People are greedy; and rail staff are no exception to the rule.

• lil, London, UK

  National Express East Anglia have had a disasterous franchise since taking over from First Great Eastern. Network rail should also be held accountable over their handling of maintance and numeruous failures in rail infrastructure. I stopped commuting to london after countless delays, overpriced season tickets and cattle class conditions. With this latest strike (and witnessing the chaos of travellers this evening at Liverpool Street) I have no sympathy with any party (take note unions) who hold their customers to ransom.
  
  The public have had enough.

• Julie, Glasgow

  'A company in trouble'? They have made half a billion in profits over the past decade! And £2.5 billion in public subsidies! It may be the case that pay rises are almost non existant at most companies, but that doesn't mean it is acceptable, shouldn't be challanged when possible, or is inevitable. The point of public sector strikes is not to cause disruption to the public, it is to fight for a better standard of service given that tax payers' money has been used left right and centre to bail out bankers, look at how the MPs have been spending tax payers' money - on repairing moats! In fact, the only way that you can exert any influence to make our government use our money to prioritise services is through the power of organised working people in the public sector. People who ork in the public sector deserve decent pay and conditions as much as anyone else - the real targets of your anger should be those managers and ceos maintaining massive profits while working people are expected to pay for the recession. Why should we?
  
  Goodluck to the train drivers, i think actually the majority of the public will identify with you.

• tony, york, uk

  0.0% pay rise and want 24hr signing on would u feel safe on a train when a driver gets up at 1am and has to work 9 or 10hr get your info from a dvr 1st

• Amir, EastBourne

  John Baker you must live in cuckoo land where the birds fly over every ten minutes. I don't live in a 24-hour society as I have to go to sleep so unless you are boasting that you never sleep which is nigh on impossible then I think ur talking cuckoo! I do expect more to work on Sunday and I hate them and do not do them lucky for the passengers other people work them for me.
  
  This is not a constant threat of strike only if management think they can impose something with no negotiations. It's probably because when it runs you don't think there is no threat of strike but if say in 6 years there is a threat you will remember it. Your right unions do not run the railway the front line staff do! If management think they can treat like idiots then we will act like them - simple! Government couldn't run a bath if i gave them instructions and nor can the banks so I’m not interested in your private sector management. I will work Sundays when the city and banks and private sector management realise there are other days apart from monday to fri 9-5. If strikes were banned will never happen didn't you realise that unions contribute to govt. lol without them they would be knackered anyway.
  
  Don't drivel your rubbish until you know the acts mate everyone is entitled to negotiate and to take away that fundamental right would be disastrous even for you my friend!
  
  As for Jez, a poor managed company is one that lets themselves get into this mess! Look how idiotic National Express has been, the chief left and they overbid for a franchise. Serves them right. Now they got £1.2 billion of debt. I think Nat Express held themselves to ransom
  
  

• John, norwich, england

  Have you considered why National Express is allegedly "in trouble"? The bid they put in to operate the flagship East Coast franchise was way too high and totally unsustainable. To just realise things are getting a bit tough and just hand it back is a massive abuse of the franchise conditions. Firstly, before anybody asks, I am a driver for NXEA and I think we know what's going on within the company better than most people on the outside do. These strikes have been bubbling under the surface for many years and it's not just about pay. but on the subject of money NX have made massive profits this year and all of the managers have received their bonuses. Now just think about who actually earns the bonuses for these people. It's the front line staff. those of us who get up early and go to bed late in order to try and deliver a decent,(although I do appreciate that this point is often arguable),and a safe service. I am of course aware that during this current recession that pay deals are low or non existent and jobs are being lost, but this dispute is not just about money. The staff at NXEA are treated like something the company has trod in and needs to scrape off the bottom of their shoes. Sadly this will mean that customers are disrupted and staff lose money but I hope you all appreciate that there comes a point where everybody has to say enough is enough,especially with a company like NX who use the recession as an excuse to abuse the services of their staff. thanks for reading this and I hope the strikes are halted by successful negotiations before any damage is done to anybody.

• John Baker, Milton Keynes

  As a paying passenger who works in the private sector and, like the majority of other wealth creating workers, I've had my pay cut for the last two years. When I speak to the travelling public, I struggle to find anyone who has any sympathy with the constant threats of strike action. Why should the people who pay the salaries of rail workers be denied transport to work?
  
  We live in a 24 hour society, so people should not expect more to work on Sunday. And the people who run the railways are the government and private sector management - not unions.
  
  It's about time strikes were banned on essential services. If union members want to protest, they can do it on their day off.

• Jez, Manchester

  To be quite honest I think it's ridiculous that unions can hold companies to ransom like this. As the article suggests, pay rises are almost non existent at most companies, why should they get special treatment? It's one thing to use strength in number when combating unfair conditions but to extract pay rises from a company that's onviously in trouble is surely a misuse of power.