Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, has slammed rail union bosses for pushing for industrial action.

The strikes, supported by Labour MPs and Councillors, including those in Southport and Sefton, will grind the country to a standstill this week, harming the economy and losing hardworking people and businesses millions of pounds. Many students will be unable to get to their GCSE and A-Level exams despite years of preparation, and others will be prevented from accessing vital NHS treatment.

The Conservative Government committed £16 bn of emergency taxpayer support, the equivalent to £600 per household, to support the railways over Covid and ensure that not one single rail worker lost their job as a result of Covid.

Union bosses, who are leading up to 50,000 rail workers to walk out on the first of three days of strikes this week, hope that their actions will result in yet greater pay.

The median wage for rail workers is £44,000 and the median salary for train drivers is £59,000, with a fifth of drivers earning more than £70,000.

The strikes are backed by Labour Councillors in Southport and Labour MPs in Parliament, who failed to vote for a motion expressing concern at the impact the strikes would have. Mr. Moore’s votes in Parliament last week signalled his opposition to the strikes, along with the majority of his Parliamentary colleagues.

Damien Moore, MP for Southport, said:

“Like many across our town, I am deeply concerned by the rail action beginning tomorrow, which will affect everybody from the 16-year-old sitting their GCSEs to the pensioner needing to visit the hospital.

“Over the pandemic, the average household paid some £600 to support rail workers, who take home a median wage of £44,000. As we began getting back on our feet after Covid, and battling rising inflation and the growing cost of living, these strikes are a kick in the teeth to hardworking people and businesses across the country.

“Union bosses have driven these workers to a national strike under false pretences, threatening rather than protecting jobs, as they stand in the way of much-needed reform across our rail networks.

“While Labour have chosen to side with their union paymasters over the British people, I will always as Southport’s Conservative MP stand up for rail users and be firmly on the side of the hardworking, travelling public.”

So I take it that he doesn't regard rail workers as hard workers and supports their drop in real time wages when he has received a considerable salary increase

Mr Moore managed to take his snout out the trough, impressive.

£70,000, £15,000 less than an mp and no expenses to boot.

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, has slammed rail union bosses for pushing for industrial action.
…
Damien Moore, MP for Southport, said:

“Like many across our town, I am deeply concerned by the rail action beginning tomorrow, which will affect everybody from the 16-year-old sitting their GCSEs to the pensioner needing to visit the hospital.

“Over the pandemic, the average household paid some £600 to support rail workers, who take home a median wage of £44,000. As we began getting back on our feet after Covid, and battling rising inflation and the growing cost of living, these strikes are a kick in the teeth to hardworking people and businesses across the country.

“Union bosses have driven these workers to a national strike under false pretences, threatening rather than protecting jobs, as they stand in the way of much-needed reform across our rail networks.

“While Labour have chosen to side with their union paymasters over the British people, I will always as Southport’s Conservative MP stand up for rail users and be firmly on the side of the hardworking, travelling public.”

________________________________________________________________

Not altogether surprisingly, unions RMT, ASLEF & TSSA for once in a very long while have a concurrent grievance vis-à-vis pretty much the whole rail industry! That has got to tell you something about 30 or so years of cack-handed rail privatization.

What goes around, comes around! By painful stages we have a situation analogous to the British Rail era. That is to say, central government holding the purse strings, but pretending it's nothing to do with them.

I don't remember Mr Moore being vocal about this!


Rail bosses handed huge pay rises of up to 18% despite another year of fare hikes and delays | Daily Mail Online

Will he be as vocal about this?

No 10 planning to tear up restrictions on City bosses’ pay amid cost of living crisis (inews.co.uk)

Why do people want Grant Shapps in negotiations, surely we need people who understand the railways and their workings as the dispute is about a wide range of operational issues as well as pay.


We have seen what happens when ministers and indeed Prime Ministers are elevated by some to be experts in the pandemic and the law.

Let them come to an agreement then publish it for all to see as the railways are sliding back into ownership by us well some of us as taxpayers.

Originally Posted by local

Why do people want Grant Shapps in negotiations, surely we need people who understand the railways and their workings as the dispute is about a wide range of operational issues as well as pay.


We have seen what happens when ministers and indeed Prime Ministers are elevated by some to be experts in the pandemic and the law.

Let them come to an agreement then publish it for all to see as the railways are sliding back into ownership by us well some of us as taxpayers.

The reason why people are saying Shapps / Government should be involved is because some of the companies are now owned by the Tax Payer and because of the Government's involvement so far, Rishi has cut £4bn of Tax Payer subsidies from the rail industry to claw back the money spent during the pandemic.
It is funny how all the rail industry workers are now 'Public Sector' when much has been privatised, externalised and is owned by foreign companies and governments. Last week Bojo was spouting that some stations were only selling 3 tickets a week, this week apparently ALL station ticket offices should shut. I look forward to seeing Bojo on the news in his hivi sat in the drivers cab and Shapps down the other end blowing the whistle and waving the flag.

Every working person has the right to withdraw labour when all other avenues have been closed to them.

Damian Moore's extravagant expenses claim of £280,000 is a kick in the teeth for taxpayers who have to pay for the money he squanders. Some his colleagues complain that they are not paid enough!.

And it is not as if he is worth a fraction of what he is paid.

He could go on strike and no one would know the differnce.

I am sure he could be replaced by cheaper agency staff....

A pity he was not as forthright in condemning his crooked boss.

Originally Posted by Alikado

The reason why people are saying Shapps / Government should be involved is because some of the companies are now owned by the Tax Payer and because of the Government's involvement so far, Rishi has cut £4bn of Tax Payer subsidies from the rail industry to claw back the money spent during the pandemic.

whilst I don't believe in Govt's subsidising companies in general, rail/tram/bus services are an exception due the #Climate Emergency . No rail/tram/bus fare, should ever be greater than the cost of making the same trip by private car. The money to pay for this, should be generated from taxes raised from an emergency 'mileage tax' on the private motorist. That way, the taxpayer is unaffected unless he/she chooses to make journeys by car.

Originally Posted by The PNP

whilst I don't believe in Govt's subsidising companies in general, rail/tram/bus services are an exception due the #Climate Emergency . No rail/tram/bus fare, should ever be greater than the cost of making the same trip by private car. The money to pay for this, should be generated from taxes raised from an emergency 'mileage tax' on the private motorist. That way, the taxpayer is unaffected unless he/she chooses to make journeys by car.

Oh do shut up with your vendetta against the motorist & get that diesel crate you drive off the road you hypocrite!

Why does he and his cohorts keep quoting Train Drivers rate of pay Train Drivers are NOT on strike it is the Rail & Maritime Union.
Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen are the train drivers union and NOT on strike.
Shapps has engineered it by refusing to meet the Union heads and seems happy to make light of it with his comedy routine in Parliament.
As soon as they can pick a fight with a Union the Tories are quick to pile on the lies and sit back . They could have sorted it if they weren't so pig headed and busy accounting for every last penny on their expenses forms.

Originally Posted by Mr B S Sniffer

Oh do shut up with your vendetta against the motorist & get that diesel crate you drive off the road you hypocrite!

So as far as you are concerned, train/tram/bus travel will continue to be the least cost-effective way for people to get from A to B. In other words, let's all drive everywhere in our CO2-emitting private cars and put two-fingers up to the #Climate Emergency - duh!

Btw, my personal transport is and has been for many many years, the bike. Though since last Summer, I have also run a modest electric vehicle. The motorhome you alluded to, may be diesel. But you can probably count the number of vacations we do in it per year, on one hand!

Which doesn't take away from the fact, that driving from A to B in this country is invariably considerably cheaper, than the same trip by train for example. A fact that anyone who cared about the planet, would agree is most unacceptable, considering the dire mess we're all in!

I worked for a finance company 30 years ago. A man who swept out the bus depot wanted a lone. Showed me his weekly wage slip.

Basic pay £40.00 pr week. He worked 3 hours overtime that week. With good time keeping and a lot of other perks I can't remember. He took home £142.00 after tax.