Train strikes

[Doucas]

Re: Train strikes

CPI and RPI both include the costs you have referred to. The main difference between them is the cost of mortgages, which are included in RPI but not CPI.

Inflation is nowhere near 20%, but give it time and the way things are going

Also just to add is rent included anywhere?

[Feedback]

Re: Train strikes

I'm curious about the weighting of this as fuel has gone up by at least 30% over the past 12 months, electric and gas has basically doubled. These aren't like cars, these are things people have to spend money on now.

There are something like 100 of the most common items in both CPI and RPI calculations, and whilst some might be rising in price, others might be falling or remaining the same. Inflation is a weighted average of the price rises of everything put together. It is also the weighted average for the average person. so whilst the cost of nappies or iPhones may be included, these probably aren't relevant for pensioners.

Also, rent is included in RPI and CPI.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Train strikes

There are something like 100 of the most common items in both CPI and RPI calculations, and whilst some might be rising in price, others might be falling or remaining the same. Inflation is a weighted average of the price rises of everything put together. It is also the weighted average for the average person. so whilst the cost of nappies or iPhones may be included, these probably aren't relevant for pensioners.

Also, rent is included in RPI and CPI.

I'd like to think a pensioner is more like to need a nappy than I do (excluding after a big night out obviously)

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Re: Train strikes

First thing I'd say is they obviously have a right to strike and that also it is very noteworthy that this ballot had a very high turnout and a very high level of support for striking. That is pretty rare and what undermines most strikes and dooms them to fail.

That said, whilst it may be good for the workers in question (or it may not long term, if it leads to higher fares or reduced services) but I don't think it's what the country needs for two reasons.

Firstly, after decades of rising passenger numbers, they absolutely collapsed during Covid. All the workers were kept in work not because they worked in a viable industry but through government support, paid for by us (or more accurately, our children). I think that makes a difference here.

Secondly, this won't solve inflation, if anything it will make it worse. If everyone tries to get a 10% wage rise to combat inflation, then the cost of what they are selling will quite likely also rise by 10%, unless there is a miraculous increase in productivity of course, which is unlikely.

It feels a little bit 'on the wrong side of history' really. With so many working from home, demand for rail transport will very likely never again reach the peak we saw about three years ago, and this will only exacerbate that. The disruption caused has been nothing what it would have been and it does feel like a battle they will not win.

On balance, i support their right to strike, but despite having a very clear mandate I think they've made the wrong call for themselves and the country. Inflation is shit, my pay rise will be well below the level of inflation but if we want inflation to pass I think this is a pain we are going to have to ride out without expecting huge pay rises.

A few points, inflation is happening and has been happening for years, certainly pre COVID. The hens are coming home roost about Brexit, as well. Network Rail made 500m last year. The rich are getting richer, and the working classes are paying for it. Inflation is brought on by Tory ineptitude and greed. Pay rises should be in line with inflation, as the products are made more and more expensive. National Rail also put their fares up by 4% this year, while staff haven't had a pay rise in 4 years.

Re the wrong side of history comment, if anyone will come out on the wrong side of history, it will be the Tories and the rich. The NR boss is on 600k a year while many staff are on under 20k a year, and are getting poorer year on year.

The gap between rich and the rest in this country is growing at an alarming rate, and if we don't stop it now, we never will. The Tories want this to happen, and they want the strike to sow division.

As for Mick Lynch, refreshing to hear someone sit so many of these politicians and "experts" down. He knows his stuff, and he also doesn't have to worry about his "progression" or the rest of the garbage the MPs and other guests think about. He's doing what he thinks is right and has the facts to back it up and the lying Tory MPs have no answer apart from personal insults.

[Doucas]

Re: Train strikes

A few points, inflation is happening and has been happening for years, certainly pre COVID. The hens are coming home roost about Brexit, as well. Network Rail made 500m last year. The rich are getting richer, and the working classes are paying for it. Inflation is brought on by Tory ineptitude and greed. Pay rises should be in line with inflation, as the products are made more and more expensive. National Rail also put their fares up by 4% this year, while staff haven't had a pay rise in 4 years.

Re the wrong side of history comment, if anyone will come out on the wrong side of history, it will be the Tories and the rich. The NR boss is on 600k a year while many staff are on under 20k a year, and are getting poorer year on year.

The gap between rich and the rest in this country is growing at an alarming rate, and if we don't stop it now, we never will. The Tories want this to happen, and they want the strike to sow division.

As for Mick Lynch, refreshing to hear someone sit so many of these politicians and "experts" down. He knows his stuff, and he also doesn't have to worry about his "progression" or the rest of the garbage the MPs and other guests think about. He's doing what he thinks is right and has the facts to back it up and the lying Tory MPs have no answer apart from personal insults.

Well said, I cannot get my head around why anyone votes tory these days. Fortunately the young see through the lies and how the media is basically all owned by right wing billionaires. You look at the demographics and you'll see tories are dying out. I've known 3 Tories in my life closely, one believed in angels, one turned out to literally be a paedophile and the other was a wife beater.

Why is there a huge correlation between education and voting left wing? Weird that.

Most young people want what people in this country had in the past, houses and families. In the 60s you could own a house and have a family just on a postman's salary without your other half working, why have we made society so that we can't do this today? Weird how there's more billionaires than ever now.

[lardy]

Re: Train strikes

Well said, I cannot get my head around why anyone votes tory these days. Fortunately the young see through the lies and how the media is basically all owned by right wing billionaires. You look at the demographics and you'll see tories are dying out. I've known 3 Tories in my life closely, one believed in angels, one turned out to literally be a paedophile and the other was a wife beater.

Why is there a huge correlation between education and voting left wing? Weird that.

Most young people want what people in this country had in the past, houses and families. In the 60s you could own a house and have a family just on a postman's salary without your other half working, why have we made society so that we can't do this today? Weird how there's more billionaires than ever now.

Sadly, people get more right wing as they get older

[splott parker]

Re: Train strikes

Sadly, people get more right wing as they get older

Not me

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Train strikes

Well said, I cannot get my head around why anyone votes tory these days. Fortunately the young see through the lies and how the media is basically all owned by right wing billionaires. You look at the demographics and you'll see tories are dying out. I've known 3 Tories in my life closely, one believed in angels, one turned out to literally be a paedophile and the other was a wife beater.

Why is there a huge correlation between education and voting left wing? Weird that.

Most young people want what people in this country had in the past, houses and families. In the 60s you could own a house and have a family just on a postman's salary without your other half working, why have we made society so that we can't do this today? Weird how there's more billionaires than ever now.

Sounds lovely where in the World could someone be a postman and buy a nice house and keep a family on one average wage?

Back then although it may have been possible, although i'm not sure it really was in reality, people wanted a lot less and it was a much lower standard of living.

[JamesWales]

Re: Train strikes

A few points, inflation is happening and has been happening for years, certainly pre COVID. The hens are coming home roost about Brexit, as well. Network Rail made 500m last year. The rich are getting richer, and the working classes are paying for it. Inflation is brought on by Tory ineptitude and greed. Pay rises should be in line with inflation, as the products are made more and more expensive. National Rail also put their fares up by 4% this year, while staff haven't had a pay rise in 4 years.

Re the wrong side of history comment, if anyone will come out on the wrong side of history, it will be the Tories and the rich. The NR boss is on 600k a year while many staff are on under 20k a year, and are getting poorer year on year.

The gap between rich and the rest in this country is growing at an alarming rate, and if we don't stop it now, we never will. The Tories want this to happen, and they want the strike to sow division.

As for Mick Lynch, refreshing to hear someone sit so many of these politicians and "experts" down. He knows his stuff, and he also doesn't have to worry about his "progression" or the rest of the garbage the MPs and other guests think about. He's doing what he thinks is right and has the facts to back it up and the lying Tory MPs have no answer apart from personal insults.

Sorry, but there's a lot of populist left-wing tropes and inaccuracies here.

1 / The wrong side of history comment is a reference to the fact that train use has fallen off a cliff (due to covid) and will in all probability never be the same again. If people want to work from home more, the result is a declining public transport. It's one of the reasons I caution against WFH.

2 / Of course, inflation always occurs, normally at a far lower level than now however.

3 / The wealth gap depends on how you look at it, but the average wage and personal tax allowance has risen far quicker under the current administration than the last one. The top rate of tax is also higher (45% v 40%) which rather undermines your party political point about the Tories wanting the gap to grow etc. That said, the pandemic and WFH is exacerbating the wealth gap considerably.

4 / Pay shouldn't be in line with inflation, it should ideally be above it. But sometimes inflation spikes, typically due to wars or other 'acts of god' and when it's caused by that its sometimes the case that we need to ride it out. Countering it with 10% pay rises across the board will probably exacerbate the problem.

5 / I agree, Mick Lynch is impressive, as was Bob Crow, but he has a job to try and protect his members, the govt' has to try and protect the entire country, and the two don't always align. Re Brexit - the RMT were prominent leave campaigners.

6 / Network Rail is publicly owned - what they make in profit goes back into the railways. The dispute is with Train operators.

Happy to be corrected on any of that. The reality, unfortunately is that very very little of the current inflation rate is caused by UK based policy decisions and thus much of it cannot be solved in that way. Political opponents will exploit the situation, but if you want the problem solved, you have to diagnose it properly. Inflation is happening near everywhere, so clearly it isn't caused by the Tories.

Maybe the union will win. Maybe it won't, but giving the country a 10% pay rise to solve a temporary spike in inflation is not the answer, unfortunately. I wish it was, but it isn't.

[dml1954]

Re: Train strikes

Well said, I cannot get my head around why anyone votes tory these days. Fortunately the young see through the lies and how the media is basically all owned by right wing billionaires. You look at the demographics and you'll see tories are dying out. I've known 3 Tories in my life closely, one believed in angels, one turned out to literally be a paedophile and the other was a wife beater.

Why is there a huge correlation between education and voting left wing? Weird that.

Most young people want what people in this country had in the past, houses and families. In the 60s you could own a house and have a family just on a postman's salary without your other half working, why have we made society so that we can't do this today? Weird how there's more billionaires than ever now.

So, based on your obviously vast experience (poll sample of 3 and we only have your word for their ‘failings’ anyway !), anyone who votes Tory is either off with the fairies, a paedophile or a wife beater. Jesus wept what a stupid thing to say. A golden example of why anyone should NEVER vote Socialist. Nearly 14 million people voted Tory by the way in 2019. Anyone who thinks these rail strikes aren't orchestrated by left wing parties only had to look at the front row of the march in support yesterday, to get a major reality check. Labour firmly in the pocket of the Unions once again - nothing changes does it.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Train strikes

Sadly, people get more right wing as they get older

I think people vote for what is best for them and their families at the time, thats why you shouldn't be a fixed Labour or Tory or anywhere inbetween, sometimes youre circusmtances will change in either direction.

[JamesWales]

Re: Train strikes

Well said, I cannot get my head around why anyone votes tory these days. Fortunately the young see through the lies and how the media is basically all owned by right wing billionaires. You look at the demographics and you'll see tories are dying out. I've known 3 Tories in my life closely, one believed in angels, one turned out to literally be a paedophile and the other was a wife beater.

Why is there a huge correlation between education and voting left wing? Weird that.

Most young people want what people in this country had in the past, houses and families. In the 60s you could own a house and have a family just on a postman's salary without your other half working, why have we made society so that we can't do this today? Weird how there's more billionaires than ever now.

Absolutely barmy

You've accidentally posted your letter to Viz on CCMB mate.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Train strikes

Well said, I cannot get my head around why anyone votes tory these days. Fortunately the young see through the lies and how the media is basically all owned by right wing billionaires. You look at the demographics and you'll see tories are dying out. I've known 3 Tories in my life closely, one believed in angels, one turned out to literally be a paedophile and the other was a wife beater.

Why is there a huge correlation between education and voting left wing? Weird that.

Most young people want what people in this country had in the past, houses and families. In the 60s you could own a house and have a family just on a postman's salary without your other half working, why have we made society so that we can't do this today? Weird how there's more billionaires than ever now.

Amazing seeing as you have never told a lie, and you know hundreds of people also none of those have ever told a lie or broken a covid rule come to that, and only three are tories, I think you want to question whether or not any of them have ever lied to you as the torries won the last election by a landslide!

[JamesWales]

Re: Train strikes

Amazing seeing as you have never told a lie, and you know hundreds of people also none of those have ever told a lie or broken a covid rule come to that, and only three are tories, I think you want to question whether or not any of them have ever lied to you as the torries won the last election by a landslide!

As if anyone who is a Tory would tell Doucus. It reminds me of a raging homophobe I once knew in work who would say "Well I don't know any of these bloody gays". Yeah mate..I wonder why.

[lardy]

Re: Train strikes

I think people vote for what is best for them and their families at the time, thats why you shouldn't be a fixed Labour or Tory or anywhere inbetween, sometimes youre circusmtances will change in either direction.

Yeah I think that has a lot to do with it