tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post4827157285393397367..comments2024-03-26T13:27:26.499+00:00Comments on Zelo Street: Southern Misery - I Told You SoTim Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00726447899972084146noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-2000092390765357092016-12-15T16:25:15.517+00:002016-12-15T16:25:15.517+00:00@john - technically correct but misdirected. It...@john - technically correct but misdirected. It's his job to make the case IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH EMPLOYERS (and possibly government since they seem to be pulling strings). But why should he even have to discuss this with journalists at all? Since when do workers with grievances have to go on radio and convince the whole country? What next, win a listeners phone vote to get a problem dealt with? A Jeremy Kyle spin off for industrial disputes??SteveBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-65320223503231697522016-12-15T15:50:18.468+00:002016-12-15T15:50:18.468+00:00it's Whelan's blooming job to make the cas...it's Whelan's blooming job to make the case for his members. That's literally what he's for. If he can't do it, then he should make way for someone who can - eg the bloke from the radio (although sounds like he was RMT).john bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13784096180652522939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-1259698146057075162016-12-14T18:24:12.798+00:002016-12-14T18:24:12.798+00:00Anonymous - If the Radio 4 interview you are refer...Anonymous - If the Radio 4 interview you are referring to was Mick Whelan on the Today programme, then given the amount of interruptions from John Humphries I am suprised that any of it made sense. The same treatment wasn't handed out to Grayling when he replied.<br />Too many in the BBC are behaving like whipped dogs when confronted by tories. Bobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-65711887421977334612016-12-14T16:11:47.099+00:002016-12-14T16:11:47.099+00:00Given that they usually barely utter a peep when i...Given that they usually barely utter a peep when it comes to the woes of private-sector firms (e.g. BHS, Sports Direct), other than pursuing their own Thatcherite union-bashing agenda on the QT, why was The TaxPayers' Alliance canvassed by Sky for their "expert" opinion on the rail strikes? Overgrown intern Alex "Dead Pensioners" Wild was chipping in with his 2p worth re. Southern on said channel yesterday.Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-33526059740000347062016-12-14T15:11:52.131+00:002016-12-14T15:11:52.131+00:00"Govia."
Figures.
And Grayling isn'..."Govia."<br /><br />Figures.<br /><br />And Grayling isn't an "ideologue." He's a corner shop moron. With the intellect of a duck.Alan Cliffordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-77757096323960193732016-12-14T14:49:02.450+00:002016-12-14T14:49:02.450+00:00I notice in the linked Hastings article, he says:
...I notice in the linked Hastings article, he says:<br /><br /><i>These statements are lies.<br />In truth, this fight is about management’s right to manage, to determine manning levels in the face of bitter union opposition to prospective job losses, by the same kind of people who once fought to retain the late 19th-century custom whereby men walked in front of motor vehicles in urban areas, waving red flags to limit their speed. </i><br /><br />Well, that's a lie based on a bit of urban legend right there. <br />Andy McDonaldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-52346686240112189472016-12-14T14:11:14.648+00:002016-12-14T14:11:14.648+00:00I listened to R4 and R5 yesterday, both covering t...I listened to R4 and R5 yesterday, both covering this issue. As ever R4 tried to produce a detailed analysis with comments from both sides. <br /><br />Unfortunately they decided to interview the leader of ASLEF , who I'm afraid to say was absolutely awful and he did his members no favours whatsoever.<br /><br />He was asked why DOO was such a bad thing - the ball had been passed to him with an open goal, a simple tap in and he could at least be one goal nearer to levelling the game - he missed, spectacularly.<br /><br />If he can't get across succinctly the issues surrounding the strikes and why driver only operations with Southern stock on some Southern lines is a very bad idea he shouldn't be near a microphone.<br /><br />It really fell apart when he started going on about rail safety and had to resort to telling bigger lies than the Remain and Brexit camps to prove his point, although by then I'm not really sure he knew what point he was making.<br /><br />Meanwhile from 9am 5 live had their usual couple of hours of phone in. It took until about 10.50 am before anything of any substance was said.<br /><br />A caller was on the line, who despite not being the most eloquent, or confident in speaking on the radio obviously knew his stuff. I suspect he was a guard. He succinctly covered the dangers of DOO with Southern Stock on some Southern lines. He explained how it could turn very bad very quickly if a driver is incapacitated in the middle of the Countryside on electrified lines, he covered those who may have disability, he covered lone women and schoolchildren using the services who may need guard assistance.<br /><br />The other person responding to the above, who probably had read the Mail earlier in the day, could only respond with "we've not had conductors on buses for years"!<br /><br />It is comments like that which show why Mr ASLEF really does need to be on top of his game when asked to explain why his members are on strike.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-4786597714991426732016-12-14T14:05:58.164+00:002016-12-14T14:05:58.164+00:00a couple of points for hacks to note:
the effecti...a couple of points for hacks to note:<br /><br />the effective top person at ASLEF is the General Secretary NOT the President.<br /><br />ASLEF agreed DOO working a few years ago for TEN coach trains but GTR are now trying to force TWELVE coach DOO trains - which is 20% outside of the deal. This on a railway electrified with 3rd rail not overhead wires. So in an emergency on a busy train the driver could be responsible for over 1000 people and some of these could be 5 minutes walk away. Except in order to make the walk the driver would be forced to stop and answer the same question from every other passenger (genetic development of UK: rail passengers are not capable of hearing what someone 2 feet away has just asked, or the answer they got) so the walk could take 20 minutes. So the passengers at the back could be bailing out onto live rails, somehting which has happened sevralk times with shorter trains.<br /><br />And now the interesting bit. ASLEF tried industrial action on this topic a few months ago but cocked up the ballot process. GTR went to court and got the action stopped. So much was widely reported. But then GTR put forward their claim for legal costs, probably not reported but expected in court cases. But I've heard they offered to waive their costs if ASLEF agreed to drop all future opposition to driver only operation ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. Now a reasonable person may ask why the hell would GTR with a defined area of operation be so interested in what happened anywhere else? Are they simply fronting for the DfT? Or is there a deal with all the other operators for GTR to take the pain on behalf of all of them - and if so what's in it for GTR?<br /><br />And worth noting, Charles Horton, CEO of GTR, was a Director at Connex when that company was stripped of their franchise in mid term.<br /><br />https://uk.linkedin.com/in/charles-horton-15877b6<br />SteveBnoreply@blogger.com