A nasty smear on workers as the Sun fails to provide balance
The Sun newspaper has published a nasty smear against train and London Underground staff set to strike later today.
What you won’t find in the story is why staff are striking. So we’ll tell you what the Sun won’t.
But first, the coverage.
The Sun’s story, Feud Tube: Strike ‘sour grapes’, consists of transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin accusing the unions – RMT, Unite, Aslef and TSSA – of striking simply because they are sorry the Tories won the general election.
If the unions had a stinging response to McLoughlin’s wild accusation, you won’t find it in the Sun. Its story has no quote or response from the unions, any train or tube staff, or anyone sympathetic to their position, either to respond or to say why they are striking.
Here’s what the story does say:
“Ministers plan to ban walkouts unless backed by 40 percent of those eligible to vote.
Some 20,000 Tube staff strike [sic] from 6.30pm over all-night services starting in September.
They have snubbed a two percent offer plus £2,000 for drivers.”
‘Snubbed’? How rude of them!
As it happens, this strike received 90 percent support from members of all four unions, with a turnout of more than 50 percent. Not that you’d know it from reading the Sun.
The Sun says editorial, titled Rail Wreckers, tells us:
“Unions have a right to protest. But it is time they were prevented from closing down essential services and making life misery [sic] for millions at the drop of a hat.”
So, they can protest, but not strike – i.e. employ the only negotiating tool they have, the ability to withdraw their labour.
So says the newspaper of the working class!
Here’s what the Sun won’t tell you. Tube staff are being asked to work extra hours at night and on weekends when the tube switches to 24 hour services in September.
The unions say staff already work seven-day, 24 hour shifts, and seek assurances this will not fall on people already working nights and weekends.
They also want a modest pay rise (much smaller than, say, the £7,000 a year MPs are set to receive) and oppose staff cuts at stations, which they say will provide a poor service to the public.
You can read more on their reasons here and here.
But not in the Sun.
Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow MediaWatch on Twitter
Read more:
Never mind the unions. What about the Sun’s influence on the Labour leadership contest?
Tory press takes the side of the bosses with its anti-union bias
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31 Responses to “The Sun won’t tell you why train staff are striking. So we will”
Harold
Focus on what you get not what others earn. Higher wages are a good policy, it is shocking how low wages are in the UK, yet we take it lying down. Many years ago working class could aspire to reasonably paid jobs in industry or other similar employment, but that has nearly all gone. Now it is low pay, no union and no prospects, we should defend employees with good wages and conditions, so that we can aim for it as well, just think how would anyone benefit from Tube Train Drivers on minimum wage?
Charlatans
Harold, thanks for the advice that I should focus on what I earn and thanks also for rubbing my nose in it by telling me I should not aspire to the high earnings of these greedy RMT strikers.
Why you say that? Was it because I was self employed without having the muscle to cause so much disruption to the likes of these greedy drivers who are stopping my son and daughter getting home from work tonight and having to lose a days pay tomorrow, because cannot get to work for example?
Charlatans
James, it is also people like me, who spent 25 years in the military also deal with the loonie tune bombers big time.
Especially when Blair and his spinners decide to radicalise half of the Middle East and millions of Muslims in this country..
Thanks for calling me a selfish f***k, “I am all right Jack type of person.”
You must be a real saint. God bless you.
Inthedark
Just to add some actual fact to a lot of this misinformation. The unions are striking mainly for a better work/life balance. That’s the sticking point which hasn’t been entertained by tfl at all. The so called 2% pay offer is actually a 1% plus £500 bonus. Driver’s do benefit from good conditions but at the expense of their personal lives. The night tube and new working patterns will only make this worse! I know this frustrates commuters and understandably so but this is the last resort to get any sort of response from tfl.
T
How much of your 17k per annum went towards rent or mortgage payments? Or did you just forget to mention that the Army housed you and your family while you served?
You sound like a f*c*i*g hater/idiot. You probably don’t even take the tube.
As an ex military man, you also forgot to mention that London Underground did more for ex service men and women than anyone else by offering many of them jobs as tube drivers when they came home to nothing after fighting for their country.
How much food shopping did you pay for with your £17k? What does the army not pay for when ur serving? And did you even pay any tax on that? On the scheme of things you seem to be much better paid than tube drivers.