Goodbye Bronwyn

[manticle]

I'd be pretty knackered if I had to work a 3.58 hour shift. :lol:

You should be knackered if you believe the herald sun

 

[Camo6]

And many a driver has called it quits from accidently killing someone due to suicide or getting stuck on tracks.

^ To me, this is one of the big factors when it comes to their salary. You don't hear much about this form of suicide but it happens more than it should. I had a friend seek counselling after witnessing a suicide from the station platform. Imagine if you were staring out the window of the drivers seat when it happened.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Remember that the train driver is at the pointy end of the train. When shit happens they are the the first to see it.

Remember that the train your sitting on going to work with hundreds of passengers is under the control of 1 person out front.

Not many people realise that when a train driver fucks up the get a new asshole. And unions are one of the primary drivers of train safety.

Think about this. You are in control of the lives of not only yourself, but your passengers and those that are on track.

Trains cannot stop like cars or trucks. When a train hits some thing the driver is is first person to get get killed or injured.

I have seen the results of fatigued train drivers. You dont want to go there, Coronial inquests, legislation changes, the whole bit.

 

[wobbly]

Its no secret that driverless trains are coming. They already use them in the Pilbara.

Not true. All iron ore trains in the Pilbara have a driver on board, however there are driverless trucks and drill rigs at both Rio and BHPB controlled from a central control center located in Perth.

And as to wages check this out http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-30/are-train-drivers-in-the-Pilbara-the-highest-paid-in-the-world/5029012 for some drivers reportedly working a 42 hour week for a take home pay of $240,000, with a yard driver earning on average $145,000 per year and those figures were for back in 2013 Imagine what they are on now/today

Wobbly

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

They have been trialing driverless trains

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Not true. All iron ore trains in the Pilbara have a driver on board, however there are driverless trucks and drill rigs at both Rio and BHPB controlled from a central control center located in Perth.

And as to wages check this out http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-30/are-train-drivers-in-the-Pilbara-the-highest-paid-in-the-world/5029012 for some drivers reportedly working a 42 hour week for a take home pay of $240,000, with a yard driver earning on average $145,000 per year and those figures were for back in 2013 Imagine what they are on now/today

Wobbly

Good to see your comparing apples

 

[Airgead]

Not true. All iron ore trains in the Pilbara have a driver on board, however there are driverless trucks and drill rigs at both Rio and BHPB controlled from a central control center located in Perth.

And as to wages check this out http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-30/are-train-drivers-in-the-Pilbara-the-highest-paid-in-the-world/5029012 for some drivers reportedly working a 42 hour week for a take home pay of $240,000, with a yard driver earning on average $145,000 per year and those figures were for back in 2013 Imagine what they are on now/today

Wobbly

You know what? They are welcome to it. I catch the train every day (Sydney not Melb but whatevs) and I would rather pay a little more on my ticket to know that there is a well paid, contented, highly trained driver up front not some bored, under trained, minimum wage dweeb.

I want to get home to my family each night, not die in twisted wreckage.

Cheers
Dave

 

[malt and barley blues]

You should be knackered if you believe the herald sun

I suppose we should only believe the rags you read.

 

[wobbly]

Good to see your comparing apples

Train/tram drivers who earn over $104,000 a year

Region

No. of drivers

Pilbara, Western Australia

388

Melbourne City, Victoria

234

Mackay, Queensland

168

Gladstone-Biloela, Queensland

154

Newcastle, New South Wales

105

Source: ABS (2011 Census for Population and Housing)

Whilst my referenced article was about Pilbara train drivers the above would suggest that 234 train drivers in Melbourne City aren't doing to bad being paid over $104,000 per year and that was back in 2011 so what are they on now in 2015 and they have knocked back the offer of 3% now and another 14% over the next 3 years. Escalate the 2011 wage by inflation (3% per year) and then add the 17% on top of that the wage in 2018 would be around $140,000

And as to trialing driverless trains that's to resolve the technical issues mainly associated with train dynamics and braking, they are yet to come up with a cost effective solution as to how to protect idiot "Joe citizen" who doesn't want to "Stop, Look and Listen" when approaching a rail crossing. Grade separation is one way but very expensive

Wobbly

 

[goomboogo]

Not true. All iron ore trains in the Pilbara have a driver on board, however there are driverless trucks and drill rigs at both Rio and BHPB controlled from a central control center located in Perth.

And as to wages check this out http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-30/are-train-drivers-in-the-Pilbara-the-highest-paid-in-the-world/5029012 for some drivers reportedly working a 42 hour week for a take home pay of $240,000, with a yard driver earning on average $145,000 per year and those figures were for back in 2013 Imagine what they are on now/today

Wobbly

As Stu pointed out, there is a vast difference between wages in a Pilbara mine and elsewhere in the country. Do you think an electrician working in Melbourne is paid at the same rate as an electrician at a BHP mine in the north west of Western Australia? The same applies to train drivers.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Exactly

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Train/tram drivers who earn over $104,000 a year Region No. of drivers Pilbara, Western Australia 388 Melbourne City, Victoria 234 Mackay, Queensland 168 Gladstone-Biloela, Queensland 154 Newcastle, New South Wales 105 Source: ABS (2011 Census for Population and Housing)

Whilst my referenced article was about Pilbara train drivers the above would suggest that 234 train drivers in Melbourne City aren't doing to bad being paid over $104,000 per year and that was back in 2011 so what are they on now in 2015 and they have knocked back the offer of 3% now and another 14% over the next 3 years. Escalate the 2011 wage by inflation (3% per year) and then add the 17% on top of that the wage in 2018 would be around $140,000

And as to trialing driverless trains that's to resolve the technical issues mainly associated with train dynamics and braking, they are yet to come up with a cost effective solution as to how to protect idiot "Joe citizen" who doesn't want to "Stop, Look and Listen" when approaching a rail crossing. Grade separation is one way but very expensive

Wobbly

Do you honestly think that Melbourne metro driver are paid $100kpa an average

 

[wobbly]

Do you honestly think that Melbourne metro driver are paid $100kpa an average

According to the ABS census in 2011, 234 train drivers in Melbourne City, Victoria were paid higher than that which was the point I made.

But then I guess a lot of those that indicated that was their wage bracket may well have been telling "Porky Pies"

Wobbly

 

[goomboogo]

Fair enough. After 72 pages of posts that should have been ironic but were actually intended seriously... my irony meter is a little off.

And to whoever suggested that train driving is unskilled work... you can have an unskilled train driver. I'll take a highly skilled, well trained train/bus/plane driver any day.

It's not something I should be flippant about. I've long had an issue with the increasing disparity between the wages of CEOs/senior management and those on the lower rungs of the enterprise ladder. There is yet to be any genuine evidence to show the massive increases in management salaries have been matched by improvements in performance. Meanwhile, the real wage share for most workers has declined significantly. It is something I take seriously. My sarcastic comment was made in response to a comment that seemed to bare little semblance to reality.

 

[Burt de Ernie]

You know what? They are welcome to it. I catch the train every day (Sydney not Melb but whatevs) and I would rather pay a little more on my ticket to know that there is a well paid, contented, highly trained driver up front not some bored, under trained, minimum wage dweeb.

I want to get home to my family each night, not die in twisted wreckage.

Cheers
Dave

Highly trained??

Do you mean they do a 4 day course over a 3 day course?

If these figures are true then I'm barracking for Metro......Shameful

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

According to the ABS census in 2011, 234 train drivers in Melbourne City, Victoria were paid higher than that which was the point I made.

But then I guess a lot of those that indicated that was their wage bracket may well have been telling "Porky Pies"

Wobbly

2011, only 243. How many train drivers where actually employed. ?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

2011, only 243. How many train drivers where actually employed. ?

That figure is for train and tram drivers.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

So there are only 243 train & tram drivers employed.

No wonder they want a pay rise

 

[Burt de Ernie]

So there are only 243 train & tram drivers employed.

No wonder they want a pay rise

What does this have to do with pay?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

There are only 243 drivers on $100k +

The rest are working for the man