8. Strikes, Skills & Suitcases

As the country braces for more rail strikes in early December, we decided that Green Signals should focus some time this week on understanding how and why we've got to where we have with industrial relations. What are the strikes on the railway all about? What should the Government be doing to put an end to them? We are joined by Graham Eccles, former Co-Chair of the Virgin Rail Group and one of the most experienced industrial relations specialists the railway has ever produced. Graham tells it like it is and provides the best explanation we've ever heard of why the industry has got into this position. In this magazine-style episode, we also discuss the growing problem of luggage on trains and the decision by some operators to start actively restricting what passengers can bring on board. And we top it off with a chat with NSAR's Neil Robertson on the results of the Annual Rail Workforce Survey and the impending skills and experience shortage faced by the railway.