Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

Maybe that's part of the "game". There is sympathy at the moment for strikers so to highlight groups who really don't need to strike splits some of that sympathy, makes the unions look bad.

Also it makes the workers more expensive so makes automated systems look more attractive. It also makes it harder for the workers to leave as they wouldn't get paid so well elsewhere. (It's expensive to hire and train replacements).

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

Here we go again, Have ago at someone who is trying to get decent agreements.

I for one WOULD NOT be a tube driver, no matter what they get paid, can you imagine sitting there for 8 hours, driving a tube train, and then bang someone jumps in front of you, train crashes etc.

What people don't realise, anything can happen in a tunnel, I know its a well paid job and l have done a few, but one thing for certain l would not be and that is driving trains.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

I think we need to give them all £1000 each or something to come in and work Boxing Day. we need them so £1000 each is worth it.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

What do you mean "we"?

Surely you mean "people in London"?

Getting back on topic, I don't know anyone who is paid quadruple time (3x normal rate and a time off in lieu) for working a Bank Holiday.

That's not negotiating, Arthur, that's blackmail.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

Yes, we.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

There is already an agreement in place.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

To start with Arthur the drivers don't sit there for 8 hrs and so what if someone does jump out in front of them ,sad i know ,but no different from any other driver .Many workers don't even get overtime rates anymore and haven't for years .All they are going to achieve is upsetting the public when they strike and pushing prices up so YOU HAVE TO PAY MORE .They are greedy blackmailers

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

We don't live in London - well, I don't.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

Well you're not the we then.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

You do realise that only a fraction of tube drivers actually have to deal with the problems you describe, yet they are paid considerably more than the paramedics who can be required to deal with horrors like that a lot more often? (http://www.prospects.ac.uk/paramedic_salary.htm)

Yes, the job is boring. Probably not that much more boring than driving a bus. A job that attracts an annual salary of £23,000 (http://www.mysalary.co.uk/average-salary/Bus_Driver_366) . The average salary for a tube driver is going to be £52,000 soon.. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...pound-50000.do

What do they do that deserves that salary? Start and stop the train? Deal with stroppy passengers? Deal with injured passengers? Bus drivers do all that and more for half the salary. Do they work long hours? Depends if you call 35 hours a week long. I don't. I call it average.

Personally, as a commuter (although an infrequent user of the tube, I do pay towards it through my travelcard), I think the day when TFL upgrade the trains to driverless operation (similar to the DLR) cannot come soon enough.

Although the unions are being stupid in this. You can bet that while TFL are agreeing to pay these exhorbitant salaries, they are looking for ways to replace the drivers*. Drivers who wont get anywhere near their TFL salary in the private sector.

*You think they can't? The signalling system currently installed on the Jubilee line is apparently a variation on that used on the DLR, so is probably perfectly capable of operating without a driver safely. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to image that system being installed on other lines as well.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

Decent agreements??? Holding the city to ransom more like, guaranteed they'll find a ludicrous excuse to ignore the 'no strike' arrangements just before the Olympics to try and get an even bigger payout.

As for being a tube driver? Damn right I would. Almost doubling my pay, not having to put my life on the line attending calls and pressing a button to go forwards and another to stop without having to worry about changing lanes or traffic merging.

Being a lorry or bus driver is far more taxing and dangerous that a train driver, people might end up under the wheels but that can happen with any form of transport.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

Neither are you....

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

So what? The average is four jumpers so quite different from any other driver and I'm one of those workers that doesn't get overtime for working over Christmas, doesn't mean I want others t&c's brought down to my level though.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

tbf, TD, there's a big difference between not getting overtime (and I think people should) and getting quadruple time.

Re: Mind The Pay Gap? Tube Drivers 'To Get £55k'
 

For 55K I'd be a tube driver...It beats the average teacher's wage any day.:rolleyes: