Following what seems like years of industrial action by railway workers, more is still to come. Commuters of Southern Region have suffered badly from the action of members of the RMT union for a long time and now it's union members in other parts of the country who are causing disruption.
Ostensibly the action has been about the rail companies deciding to introduce what are termed 'driver-only' trains, on which there is no need to employ the services of a guard; the union say this isn't safe while the rail companies insist that it is a system which has operated perfectly well in many places for many years without creating any difficulties. In support of their cause, union members in the Northern, South Western, Great Anglia and Merseyrail areas are taking a day off, causing anguish to many thousands of commuters.
In the Southern region, train drivers, who have to do little other than open and close the doors and watch out for red or green signals, are reportedly now being paid around £70,000 as part of the deal to resolve this issue. No doubt drivers elsewhere are keen on cashing in as well, hence the current round of strikes and the real reason for their actions.
Putting aside all other considerations, how can it possibly be right or justified to pay train drivers 3 times as much as a qualified nurse or twice as much as a doctor entering his specialist training ? Commuters complain bitterly about the cost of rail fares and yet no one seems to talk about the wholly excessive pay of train drivers which must be a significant factor in the annual price rise. Why not ?
And, as a footnote, if trains really need a driver and a guard to be safe, how can anyone be contemplating putting driverless 40 ton trucks onto our roads ?
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