A rail strike looms? | 12 comments (12 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Thanks for this.

I haven't yet found anything on it in railway media.

What I wonder about is whether a sympathy strike by locomotive drivers is (1) legal, (2) something that happened before.

If signal workers strike, but there is a significant number of non-striking workers (say those aligned with other unions), then after the initial chaos, management has it relatively easy to organise and rely on strikebreakers.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 12:06:56 PM EST

Re: A rail strike looms? (none / 1)

Most of the links I found stem from the RMT press release without much further commentary. The Guardian was the only one to dig a little more.

They do state that they are striking on separate issues, do you see it as a sympathy strike?

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 12:28:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A rail strike looms? (none / 1)

It can be clearly argued that both strikes are well founded and against genuine grievances, and separately would go ahead. I think arguing that one is a sympathy strike for the other would not get very far. However, what would the legality be of deliberately organising the strikes as to cause maximum disruption? That is, to take two separate actions and combine into one protest?

I'm guessing that there is some kind of rulebook for strikes out there, whether written or no. But using a pair of two-day strikes (or whatever) at different ends of a week would allow them to disrupt services for the entire week.

Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.

by Ephemera on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 01:18:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A rail strike looms? (none / 0)

No, there are two separate strikes by infrastructure and engine shop maintenance workers, and I was asking a theoretical question about a sympathy strike by a third group, locomotive drivers. I asked because that would make the strike more potent.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 01:32:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A rail strike looms? (none / 1)

Oh I see. No, that would be illegal.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 01:39:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A rail strike looms? (none / 1)

Sympathy strikes are unlawful in the UK, and seemingly have been for a long time.

Member of the Anti-Fabulousness League since 1987.

by Ephemera on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 12:30:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A rail strike looms? (4.00 / 2)

That was Thatcher, I think.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 12:51:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A rail strike looms? (none / 0)

Can't you get around that by discovering some new grievances and calling a strike which just happens to coincide with another one?

Or is that what's happening here?

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 02:17:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A rail strike looms? (none / 0)

I have no insider knowledge on this issue so I assume these are both entirely legitimate and separate grievances. The fact that they are being balloted simultaneously would lead me to think the action will take place at the same time.

I'm trying to remember where I read fairly recently one union taking action that coincided with a strike of another union, because they supported the cause even though they were not directly involved. I have no idea how they achieved that but it must have been within legal limits.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Mon May 12th, 2008 at 03:26:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

A rail strike looms? | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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