ScotRail Industrial Relations issues (including conductor strike action)

[wobman]

It might not be 16 - could be 32 or 64 for instance, but seems unlikely to be considerable numbers.

It's funny how the Scotrail employees think the cash cow will never end. I'm on the 16:57 Aberdeen to Inverurie and before Covid this train was packed full of commuters.

If this is a reflection on future revenue then some people are in for a rude awakening.

View attachment 100428

Commutters on a Sunday service ? The strike is only on Sundays

 

[24Grange]

The current state of the industry, the lack of " punters" - surely this must be the purest form of turkeys voting for Christmas I've seen. Don't they know whats happening in the real world? Jobs and lives devastated, balance of payments through the floor, Massive taxpayers subsidy to drive empty trainloads of air around. What planet are they on?

 

[Robertj21a]

The current state of the industry, the lack of " punters" - surely this must be the purest form of turkeys voting for Christmas I've seen. Don't they know whats happening in the real world? Jobs and lives devastated, balance of payments through the floor, Massive taxpayers subsidy to drive empty trainloads of air around. What planet are they on?

It's the RMT........

 

[bb21]

It's the RMT........

Latest development is TSSA, not RMT. (Yes, I know what the latter are like.)

When TSSA go on strike it is almost guaranteed things are bad. Unfortunately it looks like ScotRail are not interested at even a tad at resolving the issues TSSA members raised going by their statements, so as usual the punters become collateral damage. That makes me wonder whether there is more to RMT's grievances than what is already being publicly acknowledged. (Yes, I know the timing is unfortunate and it may not be politically savvy, but RMT have backed down in some other recent disputes so it makes you wonder how bad things are in Scotland.)

At another member's request, here is a link to the story without a paywall. https://scottishdailypost.co.uk/sco...-covering-for-staff-taking-industrial-action/

 

[Deltic1961]

Commutters on a Sunday service ? The strike is only on Sundays

The post was to highlight the catastrophic drop in customers across the board, and the resulting revenue lssue the company is facing. Nothing to do with the Sunday service.

 

[wobman]

The post was to highlight the catastrophic drop in customers across the board, and the resulting revenue lssue the company is facing. Nothing to do with the Sunday service.

What about putting up a picture of the tourist trains that are full and standing ?
Yes the commutter trains are quiet but the tourist traffic is much higher than normal. I think the tocs and government realise this and are adapting services accordingly, plus DFT are giving funding to cover the shortfall until numbers increase.

 

[Deltic1961]

The tourists come for 6 months of the year, and next year when flights remume the numbers will drop accordingly.

People will never return to the office full time.

 

[baz962]

The tourists come for 6 months of the year, and next year when flights remume the numbers will drop accordingly.

People will never return to the office full time.

Why would numbers drop when flights resume. I'm not saying they won't , but can you be sure they definitely will. More Brits may go abroad , but we will get tourists coming this way from abroad. Plenty of people use the trains to get to and from airports too. I see quite a few get on and off at Luton airport parkway.

 

[Bald Rick]

Yes the commutter trains are quiet but the tourist traffic is much higher than normal.

But th ecommuters lay the bills - significantly so (and especially in Scotland).

plus DFT are giving funding to cover the shortfall until numbers increase.

The DfT aren’t funding anything. Treasury is. And it is definitely not going to continue at current levels.

 

[Deltic1961]

Did I read somewhere about all 16 to 22 year olds in Scotland getting free bus travel from 1st January?

That'll take a bit off Scotrails income too I would guess.

 

[ScotRail158725]

Did I read somewhere about all 16 to 22 year olds in Scotland getting free bus travel from 1st January?

31st January* but yes all 16-22 year olds will get free bus travel from then.

 

[STINT47]

The tourists come for 6 months of the year, and next year when flights remume the numbers will drop accordingly.

People will never return to the office full time.

Also worth noting that whilst leisure travel is doing well (which is good to see) these passengers will not be buying expensive anytime tickets.

Off peak and advance fares will not bring in the revenue the railway needs. They could try asking tourists to pay the anytime fares but as they don't have to travel I suspect that would probably just destroy the leisure travel market.

 

[dk1]

The drivers must be having a ball on Sundays. Presume it’s just sign on from home unless needed to move anything.

 

[reb0118]

Did I read somewhere about all 16 to 22 year olds in Scotland getting free bus travel from 1st January?

That'll take a bit off Scotrails income too I would guess.

Most pensioners get free bus travel in Scotland too. Many also travel by train. Some even do both. This will have an effect but not as dramatic as some fear.

The railways may pick up some inadvertent fares too - from those young adults who confuse "buses" with all public transport: "But my mum said that....."

 

[Bill57p9]

The Scottish "bus pass" (known as National Entitlement Card) for over 60s (and disabled) also offers discounted rail travel within Scotland (and to/from Berwick and Carlisle). It would be interesting to know whether the 16-22 scheme will be an extension of this. If so, it could stimulate more travel by both bus and train.

 

[gunn13]

The Scottish "bus pass" (known as National Entitlement Card) for over 60s (and disabled) also offers discounted rail travel within Scotland (and to/from Berwick and Carlisle). It would be interesting to know whether the 16-22 scheme will be an extension of this. If so, it could stimulate more travel by both bus and train.

Depending on which local authority issues the pass. Not all local authorities offer a rail travel discount for "non-disabled" issued entitlement cards and the discount and options offered varies wildly between areas for the ones that do.

 

[Goldfish62]

But th ecommuters lay the bills - significantly so (and especially in Scotland).



The DfT aren’t funding anything. Treasury is. And it is definitely not going to continue at current levels.

Indeed. Emergency funding for bus services in England is being cut by two thirds from September and abolished altogether from next April. No reason why emergency funding should continue open-ended on the railways.

 

[Southsider]

Depending on which local authority issues the pass. Not all local authorities offer a rail travel discount for "non-disabled" issued entitlement cards and the discount and options offered varies wildly between areas for the ones that do.

Indeed. I think mine covers a 10 mile radius for rail travel at a reduced cost, national for bus and free with a few limitations.

 

[dk1]

Indeed. Emergency funding for bus services in England is being cut by two thirds from September and abolished altogether from next April. No reason why emergency funding should continue open-ended on the railways.

But it will continue as long as required on the railways. Bus operators will hack away at the poorer performing routes & cut evening/Sunday services more than they have already. It’s always been different with trains.

 

[snookertam]

Surprised there has been no mention of the report prepared by professor Iain Docherty, which notes that there is currently a 'unique opportunity' to close ticket offices and change the rail timetable from a politically led to a demand led regime.

The latter should certainly have alarm bells ringing for certain routes across the country, particularly for the winter timetables on highland routes.

This may also help explain the lack of motivation to resolve this dispute - and the lack of wider political concern in Scotland should also be a worry.

 

[DB]

Surprised there has been no mention of the report prepared by professor Iain Docherty, which notes that there is currently a 'unique opportunity' to close ticket offices and change the rail timetable from a politically led to a demand led regime.

The latter should certainly have alarm bells ringing for certain routes across the country, particularly for the winter timetables on highland routes.

This may also help explain the lack of motivation to resolve this dispute - and the lack of wider political concern in Scotland should also be a worry.

You'd have thought that a left-wing party like the SNP would be keen on usable public transport. Seemingly not...

 

[Deltic1961]

Well it will be their responsibility after March. Going by what's happened with other things ran by Scottish Government I'm not too optimistic.

 

[Goldfish62]

But it will continue as long as required on the railways. Bus operators will hack away at the poorer performing routes & cut evening/Sunday services more than they have already. It’s always been different with trains.

You will still see cuts to train services, though. SWR and NR Wessex are consulting on cuts from Dec 2022 which pretty much roll back most of the improvements of the past 20 years.

 

[snookertam]

Here is a link to an article about said report:

ScotRail report backs major cuts to Scotland's rail network | HeraldScotland

Trade union bosses have lambasted recommendations for “disastrous” service cuts, ticket office closures and job losses on Scotland’s railway.

An internal report on the future of ScotRail questions whether “the provision of ticket offices is viable in the future” as the service begins to recover following the Covid-19 crisis.

It also suggests that the franchise, currently owned by Abellio but due to enter public ownership next year, could make a permanent 10% cut to services.

The RMT union claims this would mean more than 85,000 services being cut annually and a loss of more than 1000 jobs.

The union claims the report seeks to “legitimise damaging cuts to Scotland’s rail network” in a move that would be disastrous for passengers and a “kick in the teeth” to staff who have been key workers throughout the pandemic.

Officials also believe it runs counter to the country’s climate change targets.

Transport Scotland said both they and the Scottish Government had no involvement in the report, while ScotRail claimed the report is not a formal proposal but contains recommendations on the future of the railway post-pandemic.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This report is a blatant attempt to further a cuts agenda that will be devastating for Scotland’s railway.

“On the one hand the report rightly acknowledges that Scotland’s rail network has a central role to play in meeting climate change targets, yet it goes on to advocate service cuts, ticket office closures and job losses.

“This will make Scotland’s railway far less safe, secure and accessible for passengers and runs counter to Scotland’s Net Zero targets.

“With COP26 taking place in Scotland in November, and ScotRail coming into public ownership in eight months’ time, we need an alternative future for Scotland’s railway which values passengers and staff, and invests in creating a sustainable, affordable and accessible rail network.”
The report, by professor Iain Docherty, a former non-executive director of ScotRail and Transport Scotland, talks of the changes seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as an expected 20% natural reduction in workforce, as a “unique platform” to “reduce staff costs quickly”.

It adds: “There is also a clear opportunity to explore how digital technologies and automation of certain functions could reduce revenue spend, but this will require addressing ‘difficult’ cultural and political questions.”

The publication comes after it was announced earlier this year that ScotRail will come under state control in March next year, with Dutch-owned Abellio being stripped of the franchise three years early in the wake of an outcry over service failings and rising costs to the taxpayer. The franchise is also facing a serious financial crisis in the wake of the pandemic and a massive downturn in passengers, and is surviving only due to emergency taxpayer support of more than £400 million.
Opposition politicians hit out at the report's recommendations, describing them as flawed and irresponsible.

Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson said: "The logic behind this report is deeply flawed. We want to see simpler fares and we want to make travelling by train easier, but you don't do that by closing ticket offices.

"Not everyone will be able to buy tickets digitally so this kind of idea risks creating a travelling underclass.We should be looking to invest in and expand our rail network and not follow this slash and burn approach."

Scottish Labour added that the the proposals are "irresponsible".

Party transport spokesman Neil Bibby said: "This is an explosive report that appears to propose permanent cuts to pre-pandemic rail services of at least 10%.

“This would be economically, socially and environmentally irresponsible.

“The Transport Minister must immediately clarify the status of this report and rule out retrograde cuts to the rail network.

"We should be building up rail services not cutting them back and cutting jobs across Scotland’s rail network.

"Labour stands with passengers and the workforce in the fight against cuts.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "Transport Scotland is pressing ahead to put in place arrangements to mobilise a wholly owned company of the Scottish Government to provide ScotRail services when the current franchise expires as expected on 31 March 2022.
Permission from the Scottish Government was not required by Abellio to commission this report and Scottish Government and Transport Scotland officials did not hold any discussions with Professor Docherty in relation to his report.

“Transport Scotland, as part of the Rail Recovery Task Force, uses Transport Focus’s passenger pulse research to identify the changing priorities and requirements of rail passengers during and post Covid-19 which also provides a platform to assess the scale and pace of recovery from Covid 19 and, in particular, the potential to move towards our policy vision of an integrated public sector controlled railway.”

A Scotrail spokesman said: "We are seeing a gradual increase in the number of customers returning to the railway due to the easing of travel restrictions and coronavirus controls, but with passenger numbers at only 50 per cent of the pre-covid level, this is not the time to put that recovery in jeopardy.

“Railway jobs are being put at risk by the reckless actions of the RMT and we are urging union bosses to call off divisive strikes and false narratives.”

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Aug 2021 ==

You will still see cuts to train services, though. SWR and NR Wessex are consulting on cuts from Dec 2022 which pretty much roll back most of the improvements of the past 20 years.

Expecting similar in Scotland, particularly over commuter routes, although the major exception will be the lines that have reopened here will obviously remain so.

 

[Davester50]

You'd have thought that a left-wing party like the SNP would be keen on usable public transport. Seemingly not...

They're really not left wing!

 

[Falcon1200]

The Scotrail report is just that, a report; It does not follow that the Scottish Government will actually implement all or any part of it, in fact I would be surprised if they do. Anyway, surely nothing can be decided until we have a much better idea of how passenger numbers are recovering post-Covid.

 

[Journeyman]

They're really not left wing!

No, they're pro-independence. They'll do or say whatever is necessary to meet that goal. They don't care about anything else.

 

[Davester50]

No, they're pro-independence. They'll do or say whatever is necessary to meet that goal. They don't care about anything else.

Is the correct answer.
Populism. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[dk1]

You will still see cuts to train services, though. SWR and NR Wessex are consulting on cuts from Dec 2022 which pretty much roll back most of the improvements of the past 20 years.

Oh yes there will possibly be some changes especially in peak commuter flow but they will be absorbed & hardly noticed fo railway staff.

 

[Bald Rick]

It’s always been different with trains.

It hasn’t, and it won’t be.