One of the first things I made a point of doing when I joined the railway was to join the union ASLEF. Having been a student I had been automatically a member of the NUS and to be frank up to then I had never met such a bigger bunch of tossers - mainly rich kids playing lefty politics to annoy their parents. However having worked for nearly three decades where unions were a no, no and management did just what the hell they liked I saw why unions came about thanks to the Tolpuddle Martyrs in the first place. However I have realised that there seems to be no middle ground with unions and working against management, government and anyone else in authority seems to be a given instead of working together, as lets face it compromise is the best way of all parties getting their own way. Sadly in work the prevailing attitude of the union is 'Two legs bad' as far as management in concerned and if moaning were an Olympic sport then train drivers would be able to put a world beating team together just by pulling names out of a hat.
That's the background. Over the past few months there have been niggles in the way of the union allowing our overtime rate to be negotiated down from time and a half to a flat rate and they allowed our roster to be fiddled with to a point where we all work six weekends on the trot, despite them telling us we would be getting more weekends off. The last stitch up prompted a response whereby unofficial action of not working freedays was insisted upon. When one of the union bully-boys tried to get me to fall in line I asked whether this had been officially sanctioned by ASLEF and if so why hadn't I been balloted - that went down well. So I wrapped up this more than a bit flawed argument by saying 'So this is unofficial action to get ASLEF out of the hole they've dropped us in?' It went a bit quiet followed by leftie bluster. So I decided that there was no way I was going to cut my nose off to spite my face and work my freedays, along with others and - wait for it several members of the local ASLEF committee.
So to the person I refer to as the Misery Vampire (MV). He is one of the institutionalised drivers who have never done a days work outside the railway (consequently if you can imagine a very ugly version of Keith Richards that is what this whining oaf looks like). Anyway some weeks ago MV was spouting in the messroom that all the drivers that work their freedays are nothing more than back-stabbing bastards blah, blah, blah. I decided not to enter into it as getting into a blazing row and then taking a train full of passengers was not something we are encouraged to do as it is not safe, so I kept silent.
Fast forward a few weeks and I make a passing comment that to somebody that 'I am one of those back-stabbing bastards that work their freedays.' The very next day MV comes into the messroom at 4am and the following discussion takes place:
MV: Can you explain to me the comment you made the other day as I have taken exception to it.
Me: What comment was that then?
MV: The one about being a back stabbing bastard.
Me: Well you made it first a few weeks ago in front of me.
MV: Why didn't you say something to me then?
Me: What, and potentially start an argument that could potentially lead to somebody having a incident on track by making a bad situation worse.
MV: Well things are bad here as it is.
Me: So you are advocating making a bad situation worse - that's not very bright is it? Now let me explain a few things. One, I am not a bastard as per the dictionary definition and if you want to see my birth certificate as proof I am more than happy to do so. Two I have never wilfully stabbed anyone in the back, however I have been recipient of such treatment on more than one occasion. Finally with regard to ASLEF and it's diktats official or otherwise I would like to know why seeing that they have allowed us to be stitched up in my time in the job on our overtime rate and our rosters and no doubt will allow us to be stitched up on our paydeal. Bearing this in mind why should they have the temerity to demand that I cut my nose off to spite my face to get them out of the hole they, yes they, have dropped us in especially seeing as this is my sole form of income (knowing full well he has other sidelines) and I unlike a lot of others enjoy my job. I refuse flatly to do so as they are behaving no better than the bankers in asking innocent bystanders to sort out their problems to make them feel better! In addition to this I can not tolerate the hypocrisy of being told by ASLEF not to work my freedays when representatives of this branch are not leading by example by not working theirs.
MV then started waffling leftie gibberish that was the most feeble attempt to justify the unjustifiable I have ever heard. By now I had had more than enough and walked over to him proffered my hand and said 'Lets just leave it at that shall we, we both have opposing views and any further discussion will do neither of us any good.' We shook hands and I left - never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you by experience.
Unfortunately that was not the end of it, since then there have been more than a few snide comments from MV and on the day I went back to work I had to listen to him spouting even more drivel in my direction as he derided new drivers. I'll be honest when he isn't creating misery he is scuttling around the depot feeding off other people's irrespective of whether the poor individual concerned has had an incident or big-toe ache. Frankly he should know better as he a few years ago he was suspended after allegedly pushing a female driver (who he is know to hate) down the stairs, now both are not entirely blameless and the truth of what happened is inconclusive, but the more I have to work with him the more I think that it is highly likely that he did it despite his cronies putting it about that it was all the other drivers fault.
As you can imagine being exposed to that bombardment of negativity, blatant hypocrisy and dystopian leftie dogma when you go into work has been somewhat wearing and in addition to the other two problems was the last straw. Consequently I have now left ASLEF as I no longer wish to be associated with such leftie bullshit, I have however joined the RMT (Regularly Making Trouble) I know they are even more looney left than ASLEF, but I see union membership as nothing more than a work based insurance policy, but hopefully as they are predominantly a union for other rail workers I won't be expected to support their activities.
