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Comment by throwthrow5643 | Hacker News Reader

New to London. London transport is good when it works. One thing I don't get, compared to my home country, is why when the train employees strike, they cancel services? Back home they just refuse to collect fares, and open the turnstyles. That way the unions don't offside the public.

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I've led a blind friend to London Underground stations, to the gate line, and he's asked "assistance please". Usually that would mean someone would lead him to the correct platform, but when the station staff are "working to rule", they'll refuse to do this as it isn't in their job description. Could they be more heartless?

I was only with him once when this happened, and the station manager appeared and said I could lead him (without a ticket) and he'd let me out when I came back, which he did. My friend said it happened every month or two. Going alone meant he risked tripping on stairs, especially if it was busy and people jostled him.

Many commuters have weekly, monthly, or even yearly passes and therefore would only be slightly annoyed by the 'unfairness'.

But more importantly the wage negotiations are very complicated as 80% of the money ultimately comes from the government and therefore politicians needs to be motivated. Politicians are mostly motivated by annoyed voters (and campaign contributions obviously).

Fares covered 71% of TfL expenditure in 2020/2021. That crashed to 27% during Covid, and is expected to be 65% this year.

Around 20% is commercial income (advertising, levies on new commercial buildings).

https://board.tfl.gov.uk/documents/s19826/TfL%20Budget%20202...

Opening everything and making it free during strikes sounds like a great way to do it, but I don't think the power that be would allow it.

I've never seen a barrier hopper stopped, but I'm sure the bobbies would be sent in if thry announced everyone would be doing it.

There's also the problem of disconnected services - the purple line is Rail, so while they use the same stations, they can be on strike when the Underground isn't. So you could go through open barriers at a rail station but you'd find the barriers shut trying to leave from an Underground station.

Mostly it's the drivers that have been striking, they tend to be an integrally important part of the trains moving.

Are they a separate union to the platform staff?

Yes, platform staff are mostly TSSA, drivers are mostly ASLEF and RMT.

While most of the train strikes over the last year have been RMT primarily, ASLEF and TSSA did vote to strike in support of RMT during the winter. They're both part of the TUC after all.

https://www.cityam.com/newest-strike-wave-to-hit-uk-as-platf...

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