Irish rail fancy a bit of the auld striking until i get my cash

ChikiChiki wrote: »

IR struggle to run the tiny suburban network of about four lines in Dublin. Trains rarely on time (despite their high punctuality propaganda waffle) and very overcrowded at rush hour. Infrastructure failings such as signl faults are also quite common.

They are an absolute embarressment in this day in age. There should be no pay increases until they sort their **** out. Once again commuters will be hit in the pocket for any increases awarded and the working classes will be further squeezed needlessly. This has to reach a tipping point some day.

To be fair the lad hitting go on the train can't really fix that

They should get what they want

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd hazard a guess the average joe can swap out a train with a bus fairly easily these days, with the motorway network as it is, and not be put out by much.

likely not correct.

Deleted User wrote: »

If you're travelling any kind of a distance at all, to a big event, you'd get a private coach.

not always. in fact, extra trains for special events are often hugely loaded.

Deleted User wrote: »

Either organised by yourself, or by private companies who see the train strike as a great opportunity to make some cash. Be no shortage of buses dropping directly at the event/s on in the city.

the licenced route operators yes . or the odd bus hired by a group.

Deleted User wrote: »

And you can be confident that if the rail strike lasts more than a day or two the public buses (BE/DB) will be off sick, too, with their sympathy strikes.

no they won't.

Deleted User wrote: »

Private operators will be sitting around humming Shane McMahon's theme tune:

they won't as they will have to come up with lots of capacity they don't have.

eeguy wrote: »

Extra trains are hugely loaded as they don't put on enough extra trains or carriages, probably due to union crap.

it's nothing to do with the unions. it's to do with the fact they are charged money by the NTA for running extra services as they are being used for non-PSO services.

eeguy wrote: »

The BE strike showed that privates can get access to plenty of capacity if they want. Matthews doubled up to take the extra demand.
Kavanaghs did the same.

the be strike did not show that the privates can get access to plenty of capacity. they were able to get some capacity at a cost but for the most part they were hugely flat out and struggled.

eeguy wrote: »

AFAIK Aircoach were flat out since the BE f*ckers were out intimidating the GoBe drivers.

the non-be f//kers were not intimidating gobe staff.

eeguy wrote: »

Again they'll make a killing when the strike hits.

they won't make a killing no . they will make money but it won't be a "killing"

eeguy wrote: »

Let them strike. People will find a way and adapt they're constantly running themselves into uselessness.

they will adapt for the strike days, but it will be too hard to adapt long term to options that are inferior to the current option. the railway is not constantly running themselves into uselessness as the railway dispite it's falts can never be useless.

eeguy wrote: »

Even if privatisation is a bad idea, people will push for it over constant strikes.

they will, but will be in for a rude awakening when the reality that privatization doesn't stop strikes, fare rises or staff seeking pay rises hits, which it will quite quickly. luas has alreadty proven in an irish context as such, and the uk has plenty of proof of this in terms of the railways and bus services.
there are also no constant strikes in the transport sector in ireland, in fact ireland is one of the lowest striking countries.

wakka12 wrote: »

The sooner robots replace these tossers the better..their days are numbered. Id actually feel sorry for them if they werent holding the country for ransom every other year

What makes it even more infuritating is the fact that they are already highly overpaid for a job involving no skill what so ever

robots won't be replacing these non-tossers any time soon, their days are far from numbered. there is no such thing as holding the country to ransom. they are not over-paid for a job involving lots of skill, for which only a small few are competent to do.

jaxxx wrote: »

I wouldn't say no skill whatsoever but it's hardly a high stress job like nursing, emergency services, etc. As an unemployed person it really p*sses me off; train, the LUAS and Bus Eireann drivers. The lot of them are overpaid to begin with. I would kill to be on the money they're on, even before the whole kick up started with LUAS there a few years ago. Compare a bus driver for BE to one working for a private company. It's actually disgusting and in my opinion is nothing short of pure greed. Whatever good that trade unions were originally imagined to be, they've become what I can only describe as a cancer on this country (and I don't use that word easily as I had that f*ck*r many years ago)

it is a high stress job, as 1 wrong move can see hundreds injured or worse, and the driver in jail. ja larra jem are not over-paid, but are paid within line of all other similar rail systems around the world, which pay a good wage for what is a responsible job. the fact you are unemployed does not justify your begrudgery and jealousy, it's up to you to find a job that meets your requirements. being given a good wage for a responsible job can never be disgusting and is not greed. trade unions can never be a cancer and are only for good, suggesting they are a cancer is insulting and disgusting.

Deleted User wrote: »

In fairness, Bus drivers in Dublin city deserve the wage they get. A bus driver plodding along the motorway all day, a train driver, or a LUAS driver all have much easier jobs, in my opinion.


I'm self employed at the moment, and things are going alright. Not gonna be rich anytime soon, but im happy enough (not earning as much as any of the above drivers).

As soon as my self employment comes crashing down, which im sure it will eventually, i'll be applying for LUAS repeatedly. If I was in retail, on the dole, in an office, etc. or doing any other normal 9-5, i'd be applying to LUAS.

Seems like the best job in the world. Minimal responsibility, lots to see each day to keep you entertained, and a great wage to go with it. In an absolute heartbeat I would be applying for that job.

luas driving does not have minimal responsibility, but high responsibility. tram and train drivers have as much of a hard job if not more, then a bus driver, there will be aspects that make parts of each job harder then the other.

baylah17 wrote: »

Fair would be a pay cut until the company stops running multi million deficits.
Fair would be the Gov as the only shareholder just let Irish Rail go onto liquidation and let it be privatised.

fair would be to fund the company properly so that it wouldn't be running manufactured deficits.
liquidation and privatization of irish rail would cost way to much. privatization is hugely expensive as proven by the uk, who have the most expensive rail fares in the world and huge regulation to manage their fractured, poorest value for money in europe, rail system. also, privatization doesn't stop strikes, staff seeking pay rises and any other issue that currently effects public services.

baylah17 wrote: »

Fair would be put it into liquidation
See how the lazy bums cope with 188 a week on the dole while new staff are hired on realistic terms and conditions

the non-lazy bums would be re-hired after your non-viable and costly idea, to get services back running quickly. it takes nearly 2 years to train a driver for a start, due to the high grade of safety and knowledge needed. + all the other staff who would need to be trained, not forgetting people to train them all in the first place.
the current staff are on realistic terms and conditions, as backed up by all other european railways, which have similar pay rates if not more. some even have more perks.

The Maynooth station master can have his pay rise if he sorts out the displays. Though I guess that’s done by a control room in Dublin so they are to blame

Many a scramble over the footbridge as the displays change last second! The current solution is get him walking around and shouting to platform 2 and telling people where to go so he’s a good worker who cares and knows the issue I suppose

But of a shambles though

Assetbacked wrote: »

While I accept that's a valid reason for the problem, I don't accept that it should result in delays.

sorry but you will have to accept it. if a train is having trouble gripping the tracks and the wheels are slipping, meaning the train is struggling to actually move at all, never mind at low speed, the train is not going to run as normal and there will be delays. this is the case for the stock that has sanding equipment fitted, which still struggles.

Assetbacked wrote: »

It is not a new problem however it seems as if Irish Rail just accept it on a year to year basis.

there isn't much that can be done about it. they could be more active in dealing with foliage near the railway and fit sand equipment to any bit of rolling stock that doesn't have it, but they can all only do so much.

Assetbacked wrote: »

In addition, there seems to be no plan to combat against it, for example, reducing the number of trees along the lines.

i would agree, and that needs to change. but that isn't going to remove the problem. it will lessen it however, but delays will still be a fact of life unfortunately.

Assetbacked wrote: »

The biggest reason for me being annoyed at them and the delays is that there are only two tracks to maintain in Dublin with the Dart; Two!

2 tracks also means little riggel room when things go wrong. it's not maintenence that is the issue but not enough places for other trains to pass. extra tracking is needed, and users need to bring that up when candidates come knocking to the door at election time.

Assetbacked wrote: »

Surely they could be more reactive to the problem given we only have two rail lines on the Dart? That is the biggest grievance and the reason I think the delays are inexcusable to the point where there will be zero sympathy and support for the striking workers.

if people are going to decide whether they have sympathy for striking workers based on a completely different issue, rather then the merrits of the dispute, then i'd suggest their support is not wanted, as they won't know what the strike is about so can't make any informed decisian. if one can't make an informed decisian, their decisian isn't valid.

Assetbacked wrote: »

It's at least ten minutes delay per journey recently which is an extra hour and a half per week. This is not on.

well it will have to be on. it's unfortunate but only so much can be done. more does need to be done but expecting these delays to be no more or be a lot less at this time of year is not a wish that can be granted. all railways suffer from this to a greater or lesser extent but suffer they do unfortunately.

Assetbacked wrote: »

From the Irish Rail twitter, I note that they are currently utilising all available carriages at peak time and that new carriages won't appear before 2019.

which is unfortunate as we have been cronically short of stock since 2004 dispite all the new stock purchases.

Assetbacked wrote: »

This, to me, means that the budget doesn't extend to dealing with the low-adhesion, leaf problem. As a result, we are told that such delays as a result of this problem are an unavoidable fact. I therefore do not accept these delays because the problem has a solution.

unfortunately you are going to have to accept it. there is only a solution to minimize it and i have agreed that needs to be taken, but the solution isn't going to go anywhere near to eradicating the problem. it will only minimize it, but delays will still be a fact of life. i no more like it then the next person but that's life.

Assetbacked wrote: »

Luckily I have taken matters into my own hands by moving into the city centre so I don't need to worry about it anymore but I still think it's inexcusable.

other railways around the world slightly disagree with you. they believe that while it's unfortunate, the problem will exist even with everything in place to try and mitagate against it.

I don't think people have the same sympathy for the likes of bus / rail strikes that they would have had in the past. For the reason that now - half the country have educated themselves to degree standard. And hear of the wages of these guys and think wow, that's excellent money for someone who didn't go to the trouble of educating themselves to the standard I did.

Like, the wages the bus / rail / luas drivers are on before overtime are extremely good for people with a relatively unskilled job.

The sad thing is, they'll still bully the country into overpaying them by more because the service they provide is crucial to the country functioning.