Arriva Rail North DOO

[rmt4ever]

apparently train drivers have refused to cross picket lines. Absolutely fantastic. Well done boys, keep up the good work !!!!!

Due to strike action Merseyrail will run a reduced service on Monday 13 March 2017.

We are sorry that we are unable to run the previously advertised timetable today.

This is because train drivers, who are not part of the industrial action taking place on the Merseyrail network today, have decided not to cross RMT picket lines.

 

[rmt4ever]

apparently train drivers have refused to cross picket lines. Absolutely fantastic. Well done boys, keep up the good work !!!!!

This is exactly how it should be. If only the non mixed fleet crew on BA did the same in strike days ! It would certainly teach BA a lesson

 

[westv]

I can't really see anything about the current situation that anybody should be happy about.

 

[palmersears]

No train service at Mossley, Greenfield, Marsden and Slaithewaite? New Mills Central (there is a service from Newtown), Chinley, and stations to Grindleford? No replacement bus service? No alternative service? Go home? Is this the best they could do?

One service each way at Congleton (XC). Three services each way at Dronfield (EM). And again no replacement bus service?

Pathetic.

As a daily user of the New Mills stations there's not all that much hassle in going to Newtown instead of Central. Indeed I would imagine had normal service frequencies been in place then the journey would certainly be bearable, if a little cosy.

However when I went out for my morning run, passed Newtown, there was a very large number of people waiting to get onto the first service this morning (which doesn't even arrive until 0748!). I imagine the same will be true of the two xx:49 Manchester departures around home time tonight.

Thankfully I have the option to work from home, so will be doing that. I wish everybody well travelling in Northern land today!

 

[Bungle965]

My morning commute is currently going well.
Looking at the boards at Manchester Victoria this morning my Rochdale service was formed of 4 coaches and a Bolton service was formed of 6, hopefully this will be enough, I wait and see what the services towards Manchester will look like.
Sam

 

[mtbox]

Tony Miles says he's under the impression only a small number of guards voted. He suggests most probably felt they had insufficient information to vote.

Tony Miles doesn't know what he's talking about, if it had been that small, the vote wouldn't have been legal and the strike wouldn't have happened!

 

[mtbox]

The figures I saw were:

Eligible to Vote / Ballot Papers sent out : 1254.

Ballot papers returned : 837 ( 66.7% )

Voting in favour of a strike : 696 ( 83% of those who actually voted. 55.5% of those who were eligible to vote)

Voting NOT in favour of a strike : 137

Spoilt papers : 4

So the actual margin in favour of a strike is slim, only 55% of the RMT Guard members voted for a strike. There will of course be some who are not in the RMT too.

But the figures still pass the new legislation, but probably not by as far as the RMT would have liked.

Remind me, what was the EU referendum result?

I seem to remember it beinb nowhere near as decisive as the vote for today's strike action?

 

[mtbox]

This is exactly how it should be. If only the non mixed fleet crew on BA did the same in strike days ! It would certainly teach BA a lesson

Too right.

And I know there are Northern drivers yet to book on who won't be crossing the line.

If the law on secondary action wasn't as tough as it is I think we would see drivers from other companies on strike with them.

 

[mtbox]

apparently train drivers have refused to cross picket lines. Absolutely fantastic. Well done boys, keep up the good work !!!!!

That is good news.

Hopefully (mis) management will take note of the feeling on the ground.

 

[LowLevel]

Presumably, according to the wisdom of our oracle 'XDM', all of the Merseyrail drivers will be sacked in the morning.

 

[Moonshot]

Its worth pointing out that ASLEF sent a letter to all drivers ( Posted on depot notice boards ) that they were to report for duty as normal. They did point out that they themselves were not in dispute with Northern.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Presumably, according to the wisdom of our oracle 'XDM', all of the Merseyrail drivers will be sacked in the morning.

Rumour has it they've been sacked already

 

[Bletchleyite]

It might have been done last minute, but I'm surprised they're not serving chunks of line rather than dropping to hourly.

 

[mtbox]

Presumably, according to the wisdom of our oracle 'XDM', all of the Merseyrail drivers will be sacked in the morning.

They won't.

Because. .......

It's P R O T E C T E D action !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I'm sure 99.9% of the lovely people on here would like them to be.

 

[YorkshireBear]

They won't.

Because. .......

It's P R O T E C T E D action !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I'm sure 99.9% of the lovely people on here would like them to be.

I think that argument has already been had and 99.9% is definitely a massive exaggeration as a percentage!

 

[Moonshot]

I think that argument has already been had and 99.9% is definitely a massive exaggeration as a percentage!

Indeed......no one wants to see anyone sacked. RMT members are refusing to work for a day which they are entitled to do as the union has followed the rules required to do so. Whether its ultimately worth it obviously remains to be seen - really could do with seeing some detail as to what 50% DOO actually means.

 

[northwichcat]

Remind me, what was the EU referendum result?

I seem to remember it beinb nowhere near as decisive as the vote for today's strike action?

The RMT reported balloted their guard and driver members but people keep referring to the proportion of guard members who voted to strike, which is a bit like saying the proportion of Conservative, Lib Dem + Labour voters who voted to leave the EU.

It also sounds like the RMT's comments about managers and office workers working as guards haven't been interpreted as they hoped. The BBC reported this morning that some Northern services are still running but without guards - so anyone hearing that comment who travels on a Northern service today will (correctly) think that guard-less trains will still have a second member of staff on board.

 

[northwichcat]

50% DOO actually means.

Of course the one thing we do know is it's 50% of mileage not 50% of services. That means if (as expected) semi-fast Northern Connect services don't have guards that well over 50% services can retain guards.

 

[rmt4ever]

Its worth pointing out that ASLEF sent a letter to all drivers ( Posted on depot notice boards ) that they were to report for duty as normal. They did point out that they themselves were not in dispute with Northern.

Absolutely disgraceful !!!!

 

[Moonshot]

Of course the one thing we do know is it's 50% of mileage not 50% of services. That means if (as expected) semi-fast Northern Connect services don't have guards that well over 50% services can retain guards.

I reckon a lot of staff dont understand that one.

 

[Moonshot]

Absolutely disgraceful !!!!

Well to be fair, ASLEF are simply pointing that out to members which they are probably right to do so.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Absolutely disgraceful !!!!

It's a legal fact. If they wish to be in dispute with Northern they need their own ballot. Advising their members otherwise would be putting them at risk of dismissal.

Sympathetic strike action is, whether you/they like it or not, not legal.

 

[Moonshot]

It's a legal fact. If they wish to be in dispute with Northern they need their own ballot. Advising their members otherwise would be putting them at risk of dismissal.

Sympathetic strike action is, whether you/they like it or not, not legal.

Risk of dismissal from a very highly paid job it has to be said....

 

[northwichcat]

Absolutely disgraceful !!!!

Maybe ASLEF's talks have so far been constructive and they are willing to wait until the plans are ready before putting them to members opposed to striking because they don't know what the full plans are (like the RMT)?

 

[northwichcat]

Sympathetic strike action is, whether you/they like it or not, not legal.

The RMT are also making a good case for why Corbyn's idea of allowing sympathy strikes is a bad one. They seem to be trying to make the public think that Merseyrail and Northern both plan to operate trains with only the drivers on board, when only Merseyrail have such plans.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The RMT are also making a good case for why Corbyn's idea of allowing sympathy strikes is a bad one. They seem to be trying to make the public think that Merseyrail and Northern both plan to operate trains with only the drivers on board, when only Merseyrail have such plans.

But are Northern's plans more solid than GTR's sham role of OBS?

 

[northwichcat]

But are Northern's plans more solid than GTR's sham role of OBS?

It sounds like DfT don't want Arriva's plans to be made public prior to GTR being sorted (hence it being removed from the public version of the franchise agreement.) Possibly that's partly to allow them to remove/change anything which they've proposed which ends up not working at GTR?

 

[Moonshot]

It sounds like DfT don't want Arriva's plans to be made public prior to GTR being sorted (hence it being removed from the public version of the franchise agreement.) Possibly that's partly to allow them to remove/change anything which they've proposed which ends up not working at GTR?

hence the lack of a roadmap for us.....very frustrating it has to be said.

 

[HH]

But are Northern's plans more solid than GTR's sham role of OBS?

The Franchise Agreement apparently specifies a second member of staff on board. Of course that can be varied at DfT's discretion.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I must admit I don't see the point in bothering with all this if a second member of staff is required. Go driver release, guard close and you get most of the benefit anyway.