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I bow to your financial prowess. I don’t work in the financial industry and I find my opposition to this as anti union or Tory led as wrong.

Can you clarify some facts that I thinks been asks around this:
- are Scotrail making money? Are they built to make profits?
- who funds Scotrail at this time?
- how were the trains funded during the pandemic when they didn’t have the same footfall?

I would think people are in support of industrial action in Scotland. I would give the caveat that Reddit can’t be used as representative of society. But also if it’s the consensus of society or Reddit doesn’t make it the best resolution or action.

I too am in a union and don’t need to discuss that in detail on Reddit. But I also have the awareness to know that not everyone has the same opportunities. That some lower paid jobs or people struggling don’t have the time, knowledge, support, publicity, impact to be able to take action.

I agree the organisation is the issue - but actions like this in my eyes are mitigating that opportunity. If train drivers, teacher and Drs follow quickly with industrial action - that’s three of the largest unions. It takes away a great deal from the others.

Can you explain it to the layman please? Well if a business can’t afford to charge the same price for a service or product while increasing workers wages - then they will increase prices. Therefore living wage increase isn’t reflective if the service or product is needed.

At the current time many businesses can’t afford to pay what is now being considered ‘living wage’. If we are talking about a wage where people aren’t living in poverty - according to recent reports that’s increasing & lots of businesses should be closing? Aren’t businesses struggling? Isn’t that like saying the shipyards that have recently been saved over the years should have been closed as they were financially viable?

I think we are both socialists. I just think our view on this issue and the wider society issue is resolved differs?

My understanding that the public holding company is funded by public funds. But if this is incorrect then I assume they are a profitable business. Or that public funding allocated to them will not be affected by increase costs?

I’m stating I believe collecting society wide action is what is needed. But I believe what will happen and is happening (exampled by this) is that individual industries will take their own action.

I’ll consider this the end of my discussion but if you want to offer any clarity on how these public holding companies work I would appreciate the knowledge.