Train workers.

[getthegat]

A friend of mine has recently left a stressful job as technician for a BMW main agents and taken a job fixing trains for a large well known London company. He says it is a doddle. Money is amazing, with increases every 6 months, time off is enormous, a 10 percent raise is being negotiated at the moment by the union and will be back dated to last May. They have what is called "brown time", tea breaks, and these are very frequent and he has been told to work slower and even walk slower. At the end of a shift people literally drop their tools and leave, not finishing the work or telling the next crew at what stage they are. Absolutely nothing is reused, not a bolt or nut or a single washer, it is all thrown away. Overtime is available to all, at time and a half. People get paid for doing different training courses and then get a pay rise when they finish each one. The company regularly makes big profits regardless of what we here on the news. No wonder train fares are so high. 

[mossy835]

sounds a bit who i work for. openreach.

[KB1]

I'm lucky enough to get some structural engineering jobs from them now and then, and I can concur that the margins are fantabulous

[Dougy]

Most of it is true, i dont work for the rail industry as such but work for a company that maintains rail stock, but know a few who do. Network rail pay well (trackside maintenance) a colleague of mine was getting 1k a day for Christmas and New year when his previous job was paying that a month. 

[Wb123]

Clearly I need to change my line of work. 

[Dougy]

3 minutes ago, KB1 said:

I'm lucky enough to get some structural engineering jobs from them now and then, and I can concur that the margins are fantabulous

Yes I can believe it, we get charged silly rates for any fabrications that has "rail" in the title. To the point that it really is taking the urine. 

[KB1]

12 minutes ago, Dougy said:

Yes I can believe it, we get charged silly rates for any fabrications that has "rail" in the title. To the point that it really is taking the urine. 

I agree, it is crazy......  However, I realised a long time ago that the established main contractors put enormous margins onto sub-contractors reasonable prices. Therefore I increased my margins too, in turn forcing them to reduce theirs accordingly (Not that it hurts them), and we all make a nice profit.  It's still somewhat niche work though, because the admin & safety involved is OTT for some.

[Mice!]

my brother recently did this, went from car mechanic to fixing trains, lot of things to do with regard the interview, lots of training on different things but big increase in pay and much easier working day, wishes he'd done it ten years ago.

[Dougy]

1 hour ago, KB1 said:

I agree, it is crazy......  However, I realised a long time ago that the established main contractors put enormous margins onto sub-contractors reasonable prices. Therefore I increased my margins too, in turn forcing them to reduce theirs accordingly (Not that it hurts them), and we all make a nice profit.  It's still somewhat niche work though, because the admin & safety involved is OTT for some.

Its business at the end of the day, that's it. You charge it they pay it.  

Don't get me on H&S. That's completely left common sense trailing miles behind. 

[Lord Geordie]

Blooming eck, and here is me working for around £7.80 ph 

[getthegat]

Part of me is jealous as heck, another part of me wants them to make rail fares more affordable and another part says if they work like that and the business is giving men and women jobs, then why not. The waste and the idea of making a job stretch out far longer than it should; they could be so much more efficient and productive. That winds me up. My friend is on more than double what I'm taking home and zero stress.

Edited September 22, 2018 by getthegat
Added words

[Muddy Funker]

Cops leaving to join rail network is also fairly common, usually as drivers.

Money is obviously good but I think one main reason is rail workers actually seem to have real protection and support from the union.

The police federation are useless, government make changes and all the fed can do is say they strongly disagree, bend over and take it up the ronson. 

[Newbie to this]

13 hours ago, Muddy Funker said:

The police federation are useless, government make changes and all the fed can do is say they strongly disagree, bend over and take it up the ronson

A bit like certain shooting organisations, when it comes to new firearms legislation 

Edited September 23, 2018 by Newbie to this

[Muddy Funker]

3 minutes ago, Newbie to this said:

A bit like certain shooting organisations, when it come to new firearms legislation 

Haha, come to think of it. Almost identical.

[Scully]

A company was started by a lone groundworks contractor in my home town a few years ago, which became WA Developments. In less than 15 years he became a multi millionaire on the back of railway contracts. I know plenty of lads who worked there and all have done extremely well financially; many of them being set for life. Most were unsociable hour rates ( nights and weekends ) but the rates some were on were phenomenal even 10 years ago. At one point there were many firemen employed on a self employed basis on their days off, I believe. I think its all part of Stobart or Storey Rail now, and those same blokes are all mortgage free and financially sound.