CrossCountry lack of train crew

[CaptainHaddock]

True, but this year's (or the one that some of us have had, or still got) does seem unusually nasty and long-lasting, which is why I would have expected to have seen something about it in the national press.

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

 

[AndrewE]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!
I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

I agree with some others here who think that what is going round at the moment is a lot worse than " a mere cold." I suggest you put your comment to Lowlevel, who said

We sit together, share controls and confined spaces, use the same toilets, work on trains with air conditioning etc. No difference to being at home with your family. The bug going round here is horrible - flu symptoms, stomach problems, fever, throat ulcers etc. People with perfect sick records are being floored by it.

 

[DanDaDriver]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

The infectious stoics that go into work when ill cause more problems in the long-run then if they just took a day off to get better.

 

[philthetube]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

If I feel ill enough to be unable to concentrate then I go sick, end of.

 

[Val3ntine]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

I promise you if one of your family members died as a result of a disastrous train accident which could have been avoided if the driver didn’t have the mindset of just “manning up” even thought he knew he was not well enough to concentrate fully, you may just change your mind. Just maybe

 

[Dieseldriver]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

Actually a 'mere cold' is a pretty good excuse to go sick if your job involves being in control of 100s/1000s of tonnes of train. Concentration is a massive issue. The lack of ready access to a toilet is a massive issue. Dealing with the erratic shift patterns is a massive issue. Doing a week of nights finishing at 0700/0600, then having two rest days followed by dead earlies setting the alarm clock for 0200/0300 are impossible to be worked safely if you are struggling to sleep due to coughing and feeling like s**t.
As a Train Driver I have gone sick on occasions where in most other jobs I would have probably soldiered on and turned up to work. However, as a Train Driver, when I book on for duty I am declaring myself fit for duty and if I'm not fit, I will not book on.
Also worthy of note is the attendance procedures we are subjected to which for many companies is very strict.
My personal view is I am actually surprised that there are not more sickness absences in this job due to the safety critical nature of it.

 

[Dieseldriver]

I promise you if one of your family members died as a result of a disastrous train accident which could have been avoided if the driver didn’t have the mindset of just “manning up” even thought he knew he was not well enough to concentrate fully, you may just change your mind. Just maybe

Off the top of my head, Manor House and Lewisham are major historical railway disasters directly caused by safety critical members of staff being unfit for duty. There are many many more. Not to mention the more minor incidents (SPADs, TPWS incidents, Excessive Speeding incidents, Stop Shorts, Fail to Calls, Station Overshoots, Minor Collisions) that occur regularly due to Drivers being unfit for duty (through fatigue, illness, personal problems etc) which have major repercussions for that Drivers career.

 

[bb21]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

"Please respect your colleagues' health" is all I can say to that.

Everywhere I have worked I have been informed that not infecting the whole workplace with my bug is the most responsible thing I can do for the company should I feel unwell at any time.

 

[ComUtoR]

Coughs and Sneezes Spread diseases...

Ring a ring of roses, a pocketful of posies...

 

[Phlip]

Is there ever *not* a "cold going round" at Christmas?

There are always respiratory viruses, of various types, going round at this time of year. This year there seems to be a couple of particularly unpleasant Rhinoviruses and an Adenovirus that there’s a lot of. Influenza, on the other hand, only just seems to have started.

 

[6Gman]

The rail unions fight for members working terms & conditions. Other industry staff should be doing their best to improve their conditions instead of trying to drag rail staff down.

This.

 

[6Gman]

That's always the default rail industry argument - It's rail staff's workers rights and union members terms & conditions.

Apply rail terms and conditions in other industries and watch what happens. Pubs/Restaurants closed, shops charging a fiver for a loaf of bread because the bloke working late must be paid time and a half, etc etc.

To steer this back towards the original topic, and incorporating the above, the whole industry when privatised, should have taken a total commercial approach. That didn't happen and parts of the industry still operate in an nationalised-era style - and yes, I'm referring to the unions.

I would gently point out that the opposition to including Sunday in the working week comes from the TOCs, not the unions.

 

[6Gman]

Actually a 'mere cold' is a pretty good excuse to go sick if your job involves being in control of 100s/1000s of tonnes of train. Concentration is a massive issue. The lack of ready access to a toilet is a massive issue. Dealing with the erratic shift patterns is a massive issue. Doing a week of nights finishing at 0700/0600, then having two rest days followed by dead earlies setting the alarm clock for 0200/0300 are impossible to be worked safely if you are struggling to sleep due to coughing and feeling like s**t.
As a Train Driver I have gone sick on occasions where in most other jobs I would have probably soldiered on and turned up to work. However, as a Train Driver, when I book on for duty I am declaring myself fit for duty and if I'm not fit, I will not book on.
Also worthy of note is the attendance procedures we are subjected to which for many companies is very strict.
My personal view is I am actually surprised that there are not more sickness absences in this job due to the safety critical nature of it.

Correct!

 

[DanDaDriver]

Actually a 'mere cold' is a pretty good excuse to go sick if your job involves being in control of 100s/1000s of tonnes of train. Concentration is a massive issue. The lack of ready access to a toilet is a massive issue. Dealing with the erratic shift patterns is a massive issue. Doing a week of nights finishing at 0700/0600, then having two rest days followed by dead earlies setting the alarm clock for 0200/0300 are impossible to be worked safely if you are struggling to sleep due to coughing and feeling like s**t.
As a Train Driver I have gone sick on occasions where in most other jobs I would have probably soldiered on and turned up to work. However, as a Train Driver, when I book on for duty I am declaring myself fit for duty and if I'm not fit, I will not book on.
Also worthy of note is the attendance procedures we are subjected to which for many companies is very strict.
My personal view is I am actually surprised that there are not more sickness absences in this job due to the safety critical nature of it.

Amen Brother!

 

[Starmill]

I haven't spotted a statement from CrossCountry?

 

[221129]

Due to a Shortage of Train Managers, the following trains are expected to be altered today:
+ 1E40 1330 BHM-NCL: cancelled
+ 1E48 1341 RDG-NCL: terminates BHM
+ 1E60 1641 RDG-NCL: cancelled
+ 1E64 1741 RDG-NCL: does not run between BHM and YRK
+ 1M49 1200 PLY-MAN: starts BRI
+ 1M72 1835 NCL-BHM: cancelled
+ 1M76 1926 NCL-BHM: cancelled
+ 1S56 1541 RDG-EDB: does not run between DBY and NCL
+ 1V34 1422 SHF-RDG: starts BHM
+ 1V67 1805 MAN-BRI: terminates BHM

 

[diffident]

Due to a Shortage of Train Managers, the following trains are expected to be altered today:
+ 1E40 1330 BHM-NCL: cancelled
+ 1E48 1341 RDG-NCL: terminates BHM
+ 1E60 1641 RDG-NCL: cancelled
+ 1E64 1741 RDG-NCL: does not run between BHM and YRK
+ 1M49 1200 PLY-MAN: starts BRI
+ 1M72 1835 NCL-BHM: cancelled
+ 1M76 1926 NCL-BHM: cancelled
+ 1S56 1541 RDG-EDB: does not run between DBY and NCL
+ 1V34 1422 SHF-RDG: starts BHM
+ 1V67 1805 MAN-BRI: terminates BHM

Initial thoughts are that it is not as many as I'd have expected. But then again, with that being 10 journeys out of how many would normally be made on a Sunday?? I'm thinking it's going to be less than 10% of services disrupted??

 

[ivanhoe]

I would gently point out that the opposition to including Sunday in the working week comes from the TOCs, not the unions.

Some people think that by including Sunday as a normal working day, comes without a cost. It's cheaper to offer overtime than taking on new staff, hence why TOCS in certain cases prefer the status quo. It has to be implemented in s planned environment which allows new staff to be trained and / or recruited.

 

[Deafdoggie]

A cold is a good excuse to be off work. It is just you probably only have one or two days off with it, whereas with flu you have a week or so off with it. Of course, you don't have time off with every cold, some are little more than a sniffle, but others are stronger. I am sure everyone goes into work if they feel able, and doesn't when they don't. Equally some jobs it is more important to be alert than others. The most physically exerting thing I do all day is push a mouse round a mousemat, and the most safety critical thing I do, is remembering to make sure I unplug the heater at night! If I have a cold, and don't have full concentration it isn't the end of the world. Other jobs needs you to be in top form at all times. There is only so much cover TOC's can have available.

 

[Meerkat]

I am quite happy for unions to protect their members from having Sunday’s imposed on them but that really shouldn’t stop TOCs bringing in new people on different contracts including Sundays

You are correct that the industry should have collectively tackled the problem. They haven’t. Unions are using ‘the market’ to get their members the best deal.

Which would be fine if TOCs could also use the market to bring in more flexible staff.

 

[DarloRich]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

From a wider staffing point of view it is probably better you take the day off. I would rather have just one of my team off rather than the 4 or 5 you infect with your snots!

Also better you take one day off with a cold than a fortnight with a chest infection.

 

[1e10]

Only a handful of services impacted then. Doesn't seem significant, there have been a handful of cancellations and short terminations the past few weekends and even some weekdays for a few weeks now.

 

[trainophile]

Anyone know what the outlook is for Birmingham to Bournemouth on Saturday 29th? We have a wedding to get to!

 

[45107]

Which would be fine if TOCs could also use the market to bring in more flexible staff.

As Lowlevel states earlier in the thread, it is possible if there is will to do it.

 

[father_jack]

I would gently point out that the opposition to including Sunday in the working week comes from the TOCs, not the unions.

Slightly OT but this concurs with what you say. But the TOCs never tell the passengers the real story about Sundays and staffing......

 

[SC43090]

Its a pain as this evening 1E48 1341 Reading Newcastle was cancelled between Birmingham & Newcastle this evening which meant that the connection from Doncaster was missed & then next train wasn't till 1929 120 mins later but luckly there was a bus which mean't i got to where i was going 60 mins late instead of 120 mins late...... Reason given on the screens & announcement was due to a shortage of train crew.....

SC 43090

 

[Eccles1983]

A mere cold isn't an excuse to go sick from your job. I'm coming down with one myself but I'll be going into work as normal next week!

I suspect most of these "upper respiratory chest infections" are a consequence of a heavy drinking session the previous night....

Spoken like a real voice of wisdom.

Meanwhile in the real world.... I am in control of hundreds of lives on every train I run. If I am unwell but then decide to attempt my job anyway and it goes wrong then guess what - I am Manning it up in the showers of the big house if someone dies or gets seriously hurt.

It's that simple, and dangerous. Whilst you may get away with being hungover or sick in what ever job you do I cannot, and furthermore will not risk the safety of others.

 

[Metal_gee_man]

How would you police that? What are the relief staff meant to do with their time? Not have a drink on their birthday because there’s a slight possibility they might be needed? Or pay them as relief but not working because no one is off sick?

I would suggest that sending an extra/relief crew member (conductor/OBM) on an elongated service would be a proficient way to collect/protect revenue, imagine having to check all tickets on a double Voyager (impossible) 2 crew fantastic! But no TOCs prefer money saving than safety and money making!

 

[221129]

I would suggest that sending an extra/relief crew member (conductor/OBM) on an elongated service would be a proficient way to collect/protect revenue, imagine having to check all tickets on a double Voyager (impossible) 2 crew fantastic! But no TOCs prefer money saving than safety and money making!

But then they aren't available to work a train if someone goes sick.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

I am quite happy for unions to protect their members from having Sunday’s imposed on them but that really shouldn’t stop TOCs bringing in new people on different contracts including Sundays

Which is actually far less easy than it sounds. It will cause a significant problem with structuring the rosters and diagrams if you have two sets of staff on completely different ts and cs doing the same job at the same location for the same company, especially at smaller depots.