If they gave 25 year franchises I think the system may have worked. 7 years with the possibility of extension as long as you won the bid was a shit way of doing it. They aren't a quick fix and it will get worse before it gets better.Cheers pal for taking the time to post that. It sounds a nightmare if I’m being honest. This short term contract was certainly part of the problem - it encouraged management to deal in cycles rather than strategically.
You have to think anything the government does with the fully nationalised system will be meaningful rather than a couple of vinyls.
I do mourn the loss of the restaurant carriage on the big trains. Proper freshly cooked food. You’ve got me feeling all nostalgic!!!
I get that.So many I know despise Starmer and hate Labour , there’s nothing he or the party can do to even change their opinion.
Truly think Reform will be the next party in power in 4/5 years and we are fucked.
Standardisation for a start. Companies with rolling stock with the same coupling mechanisms - but set at different heights so incompatible, so one company's trains can't rescue another's failed train (and no longer then spending millions to sort out the financial costs to each company).
And less rivalry for skills (different companies outbidding each other has been a major impetus for driver wages - rather than training their own).
And simplified fares.
If they gave 25 year franchises I think the system may have worked. 7 years with the possibility of extension as long as you won the bid was a shit way of doing it. They aren't a quick fix and it will get worse before it gets better.
Spotted dick?At least bring back the restaurant cars mate. I don’t mind trains being late if I can have an extra pudding.
Spotted dick?
Careful with those stats.If working conditions are bad surely they’d want to organise? But I do take your point. Part of the issue might be you walk in to an already unionised organisation it’s easier to join and organise versus trying to set one up from scratch.
Assuming your son-in-laws approach of voting with his feet was more likely than striking in the private sector I did a little check to see what turnover rates were like between the two - you’re almost twice as likely to leave a public sector job than private sector which may suggest employees are happier in the private sector.
Strike less,
Less likely to leave.
Yes there are shit managers as well.
I hope Labour don’t think being tough on immigration will win them votes…
It’s the only way they can ward off Reform. They simply have to be.