No London Midland services this Sunday

[Mojo]

London Midland are not running any trains whatsover this Sunday.

From their website: http://www.londonmidland.com/news/latest-news/london-midland-services-on-sunday-6-september/

There will be no London Midland train services on Sunday 6 September 2009 due to staff shortages.

For the majority of London Midland staff, working on Sundays is voluntary. This weekend a large number of onboard staff have failed to volunteer, resulting in a shortfall in staff and the cancellation of services.

 

[Bittern]

They need to hire more people.

 

[87015]

Firstly: FFS.

They need to hire more people.

Why? Who are they going to be able to hire that will only work Sundays and sit around on their backsides the rest of the week?

 

[37401]

when I was at Nuneaton I heard the word Barbeque, I knew what that meant but didnt know who said it (VT or LM)

 

[Mojo]

when I was at Nuneaton I heard the words Barbeque, I knew what that meant but didnt know who said it (VT or LM)

See this thread: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26303

 

[Danielo]

That's quite shocking! The DfT should take the franchise back!

 

[bengley]

That's quite shocking! The DfT should take the franchise back!

Agreed

 

[ivanhoe]

That's quite shocking! The DfT should take the franchise back!

would this resolve the problem though? The staff would still be on the same terms and conditions. Both sides need to be locked away in a room until they can guarantee a 7 day railway. Both sides need to concede on some issues.

 

[Phoenix]

Im sorry but this really isn't good enough and I hate to resort to saying this but they need to pull their fingers out and bloody well sort either the shortage out or their current staff.

 

[Pumbaa]

Hey - think how we feel. This is a 50/50 split. Whilst I support the staff of my local TC, this is certainly disrespectful behaviour to the people who ultimately pay their wages, and to management, we've told you before that you're ****e, sort your act out!

 

[Danielo]

would this resolve the problem though? The staff would still be on the same terms and conditions. Both sides need to be locked away in a room until they can guarantee a 7 day railway. Both sides need to concede on some issues.

Maybe a new company will be able to negotiate with the unions in a more professional manner than LM do at the moment.

 

[gordonthemoron]

bearing in mind that sundays were not a working day under BR, and presumably pre-BR, I wouldn't hold my breath

 

[Metroland]

It's the old 'I'm not working Sunday trick'. No further comment.

 

[harz99]

bearing in mind that sundays were not a working day under BR, and presumably pre-BR, I wouldn't hold my breath

They may not have been part of the "normal" working week, but we were still rostered to work them as an additional day for additional pay, and could only take them off by agreement with the "Gov".

I hated working Sunday, and had a simple way of getting them off - I would assist and work a rest day in the week only if my Sunday was covered, as there were more bodies looking for buckshee work on a Sunday than in the week I always got my wish!

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

I hate the way LM over exagerate, there will be a near-to-normal service on the Birmingham New St - Liverpool Lime St services, whereas all other services will not run. Tickets will be accepted on alternate services.

 

[Pumbaa]

Email from LM this evening:

Dear Sir/Madam

If you’re travelling by train this weekend, please be aware that there will be no London Midland trains running on Sunday 6 September 2009 (except between Birmingham and Liverpool) due to a staff shortage.

Trains will run normally from Monday 7 September.

For the majority of London Midland on train staff, working on Sundays has always been voluntary. This weekend, so few have volunteered to work, that we have had no choice but to cancel services.

We have made arrangements with other train operators to accept London Midland tickets between the points listed below, but if practical we suggest you avoid travelling:

Virgin Trains:

Crewe – Stafford – Nuneaton – London Euston
Rugby - Milton Keynes – Watford Junction – London Euston
Stoke – London Euston
Wolverhampton - Birmingham – Coventry - London Euston

Chiltern Railways:

Birmingham Snow Hill – Solihull – Dorridge
Birmingham Snow Hill – London Marylebone

Cross Country:

Nuneaton – Birmingham (for connections to London)
Tamworth – Birmingham (for connections to London)
Stafford – Birmingham - Coventry

East Midlands Trains:

Wellingborough – London St Pancras (we’ll be running coaches from Northampton – Wellingborough)
We are also trying to arrange replacement coach services from those stations with no rail alternative. Within the West Midlands, rail tickets will be valid on National Express West Midlands buses and Midland Metro trams.

For the latest detailed information throughout the weekend, please visit www.londonmidland.com or call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.

On behalf of London Midland, please accept my sincere apologies for any disruption to your journey.

Kind regards,

 

[A0]

That's quite shocking! The DfT should take the franchise back!

Agreed

Except that any future franchisee would almost certainly have the same issue - are either of you familiar with TUPE regulations?

Essentially it protects an employee's T&Cs when a company is taken over or sold to a new owner. I suspect that this applies to employees who transfer to new franchisees when they are reallocated, so in fairness to LM this is an inhereted situation from either Silverlink or BR NSE days.

What is mad is that it is not possible for LM to schedule Sunday as a working day and all staff can opt out of working it which grinds their services to a halt.

It's exactly this kind of behaviour which is why Joe Public doesn't support being forced out of their cars and into public transport - because your ability to travel isn't goverened by Comrade Bob Crow's diktats. And I suspect the unions won't get much sympathy from the travelling public on this one.

 

[jon0844]

I doubt the public have much sympathy for the unions and their members on ANYTHING these days, even the things that should be supported 100%.

If this was a temporary pay increase to encourage more drivers over the summer, then it's hardly fair for Bob Crow to say on camera about it being a pay cut. That is unless it is now less money than it was before? He's simply trying to deflect attention away from the drivers and back to London Midland - no doubt to further his argument for renationalisation, which it seems to be is his ONLY agenda.

The problem has been around for years, and it does seem as if there was some form of co-ordination to have nobody volunteer today. I mean, people volunteered BEFORE the increased Sunday pay didn't they!!

But, I will add that I don't believe any driver should be forced to work on a Sunday under the current agreement.

 

[LTJ87]

I take the point that TUPE regulations prevent LM from unilaterally changing the terms of existing staff contracts, but what I don't understand is why LM and other operators haven't put new recruits onto contracts which do require them to work on Sundays. It is quite common in the airline industry to have employees doing the same job on different contractual terms as contracts for new joiners have evolved over time (usually with more flexible terms and no scope for restrictive practices). Existing employees would not be able to strike over proposed contracts for new joiners.

This issue has be hit on the head once and for all. The railways are a public service and operators should not be so vulnerable to unofficial industrial action in this way.

Also, whilst I understand that employees are technically not in breach of their contracts by not volunteering to work on Sunday, I do wonder to what extent an instruction by somebody to employees to not volunteer for work is testing the law. For example, instructions to employees to cause disruption by phoning in sick en masse has resulted in legal action by airlines against unions. I wonder how close the LM action is to that.

 

[Pumbaa]

I'm in favour of seeing Sunday restored as a working day across the board for TOCs. The railway system is a public service, although in private-ish hands, but even that quasi status gives it the need to be available to use. Some of us already work Sundays, if staff don't like that then find another job! Other public services also work Sundays.

 

[37401]

not bad I suppose, get a £10 LM only tix and get the fast VT 390

 

[TrainBrain185]

bearing in mind that sundays were not a working day under BR, and presumably pre-BR, I wouldn't hold my breath

Perhaps, maybe. However do history books recall such a situation happening "ever" under nationalised BR ownership and pre-nationalised operations???
Would be interested to know.

 

[EM2]

Why is this national news, yet the very similar action by EMT some weeks ago was never mentioned in the media?

 

[37401]

on the news they said about BHM-Liverpool being the ONLY service, yet they showed a 170 to Hereford and they filmed at BHM and WOF

 

[LTJ87]

Why is this national news, yet the very similar action by EMT some weeks ago was never mentioned in the media?

I guess partly because it is a very slow news weekend.

 

[jon0844]

I don't know the full facts, but it does seem odd that LM introduce higher pay to encourage drivers to work over the summer break, then drivers 'repay' LM by refusing to volunteer - presumably under advice to do so in order to force LM to make the higher pay a permanent offering.

I agree that changing the terms for new staff would solve the problem, but Bob Crow would take all staff on strike for less - so would that work?

 

[GB]

I'm in favour of seeing Sunday restored as a working day across the board for TOCs. The railway system is a public service, although in private-ish hands, but even that quasi status gives it the need to be available to use. Some of us already work Sundays, if staff don't like that then find another job! Other public services also work Sundays.

We have this argument whenever this subject comes up. The FACT is thier current contract does not include working Sundays so why should they "find another job". It is up to managment to offer incentives if they want sundays covered.

Yes other rail companies have Sundays as part of the working week, but they also have a higher basic salary to compensate.

 

[LTJ87]

I agree that changing the terms for new staff would solve the problem, but Bob Crow would take all staff on strike for less - so would that work?

I'm no expert on employment law, but I don't think the ballot would be valid. Existing employees would have no basis to strike over something that does not affect their T&Cs of employment.

 

[GB]

I don't know the full facts, but it does seem odd that LM introduce higher pay to encourage drivers to work over the summer break, then drivers 'repay' LM by refusing to volunteer - presumably under advice to do so in order to force LM to make the higher pay a permanent offering.

LM offered an inhanced pay to drivers as a temproary measure to get Sundays covered. While this was in place everyone was a winner. LM got jobs covered, drivers were compensated for giving up thier valuable free time and passengers obviously got the service they were expecting.

Now LM have recinded this agreement what did they expext to happen? Of course staff are not going to volunteer for doing the same job for less money and why should they!...would you???

 

[LTJ87]

Do employees of airlines, hotels, public services etc receive extra pay for working Sundays?