Thursday, January 10, 2008

Can we strike too please?


So, guards and drivers at FGW have voted to go on strike. Apparently, they're fed up with FGW's "confrontational" style of management, and they don't like it when managers drive the trains.
Hey, guess what, I don't like it when managers drive the trains either! I want my trains driven by train drivers please.
The problem is, we passengers can't go on strike, so we'll have to put up with even more cancellations and delays, because the company can't get it together to look after the people who work for them, or at least keep them in dialogue long enough for them not to go out on strike.
Sometimes the words "piss-up" and "brewery" come to mind when I think of the way that FGW try to run their bit of the railway. The words "bull" and "china shop" occur to me too, when you look at the way they deal with problems.
Look, we know there aren't enough trains, the staff morale is low, the tracks need fixing and the stations aren't big enough. We know all this. We just want you to sort it out. All we can see from our end is the cost of our tickets, and the constant failure to get us from A to B. Surely you can see why we might be as annoyed as the drivers who object to managers driving the trains. My message to First Great Western is take your hands away from your ears and stop shouting "la la la, I can't hear you". It's good to talk, as they say.

4 comments:

more train less strain said...

If anyone from Reading or Maidenhead would like to help to coordiante a fare strike on the 28th JAN we want to hear from you. Email tambrose31at yahoo.co.uk and jpoin the 6 fare strieks curently planned for the 28th JAN.

Anonymous said...

Dont worry you will be allright. There are no guards on your train from slough to windsor and on most of the trains from slough to paddington. As the drivers are not going on strike you will still be able to get to work :)

Anonymous said...

be careful,ASLEF train drivers have also voted to strike but dates not deceided yet !

Lord Hutton said...

They dont even talk to Local Authorities. Even when you have their emither addresses