Originally Posted by
TheAnimus
You don't live in London do you?
The tube is not really an option for a lot of commuters, they are forced on to it, you can't drive there and I don't mean because of congestion charging & other costs, I mean because there is no parking remotely near. The buses when a tube strike happens are full to the point they don't let anyone on from zone3 inwards.
A strike on the tube creates havock often hitting small businesses the hardest, they don't afterall get a refund on the rent/mortgage for those days. Big companies often completely fail to operate properly and lots of freelancers simply don't get paid. These people often being the most exploited of all (see london living wage vs contracted cleaners). So the nock on effect is really quite something else. I'd suggest cycling round (because its the only pratical way, and even then you have to avoid the gridlock main roads) London on a tube strike day just to see how truely crippling it is to have such an essential service cut off.
As such a tube driver holds power over many people who have no direct involvement with the pay. Then when you look at what it is they are striking over, plenty of workers on less pay per hour doing frankly less pleasurable jobs aren't getting the perks they are striking over.
I would say that to liken the tube drivers with the movements of the early 20th century is frankly insulting to all those that suffered so badly at the hands of the monopolistic exploiting corporations.
I'm not aware of any employer recently holding their employees to randsome in a way that is unfair to the employees whilst been fair to the company, I am aware of plenty of cases which the firm is in dire straights and frankly those conditions are 'unfair' to all involved, but definately not helped by striking. BA cabin crew is a good example of this, everyone else has taken significant cuts, but they aren't willing to serve as many passengers with as few staff as the likes of Virgin. That simply can not be solved unless the public are willing to pay for that, which they haven't demonstrated they are.