Rest Day Work at Northern agreed by ASLEF

[mandub]

6 months deal

 

[glasgowniteowl]

Driver or Guards or both?

 

[mandub]

Drivers. Aslef agreement

 

[InkyScrolls]

Well can we have some detail?

 

[mandub]

Well can we have some detail?

Would like some too .
We've been told it's 6 months deal on same terms as last time.
But no official details yet.....

 

[skyhigh]

Would like some too .
We've been told it's 6 months deal on same terms as last time.
But no official details yet.....

Told by who?

 

[dk1]

What a good news day this is turning out to be.

 

[EZJ]

What a good news day this is turning out to be.

You can almost feel that election blowing in the breeze, what odds ASLEF get an "offer" in the next few weeks.

 

[skyhigh]

what odds ASLEF get an "offer" in the next few weeks.

Fairly high (I hope).

 

[dk1]

You can almost feel that election blowing in the breeze, what odds ASLEF get an "offer" in the next few weeks.

Ridiculous it’s taken so long. I’m a little more optimistic we will after todays announcement but not holding my breath just yet.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Would like some too .
We've been told it's 6 months deal on same terms as last time.
But no official details yet.....

What were the previous terms?

 

[renegademaster]

Somebody is planning an election soon

 

[TheEastAnglian]

What were the previous terms?

150% @ 9.5 hrs

 

[PudseyBearHST]

150% @ 9.5 hrs

Thanks

 

[dk1]

150% @ 9.5 hrs

Your name in the availability book yet mate?

 

[Geeves]

Problem for the west side at least is that they were making the timetable and train plan work (with some serious effort) with out any RDW and that's been the case for a whole year or more. Sunday issues were mostly down to guards not working Sunday shifts, drivers obviously happy to work. Drivers have been working to booked shifts and refusing overtime as per the union agreement.

That being said they need RDW to pick up on all the 323 training that's coming and there's still loads of road learning.

 

[43066]

150% @ 9.5 hrs

9.5 hours for any job length?

 

[td97]

Problem for the west side at least is that they were making the timetable and train plan work (with some serious effort) with out any RDW and that's been the case for a whole year or more. Sunday issues were mostly down to guards not working Sunday shifts, drivers obviously happy to work. Drivers have been working to booked shifts and refusing overtime as per the union agreement.

That being said they need RDW to pick up on all the 323 training that's coming and there's still loads of road learning.

Very true. RDW is a good solution for high training periods. It is an expensive solution and it's a shame the no-RDW arrangement hasn't been prolonged as an exercise in reducing costs.

Northern had a great service from late Oct 2022 to early summer 2023. General service has been quite poor for 6 months and shows no sign of improvement. Clearly training for new traincrew and 323s can't be done without RDW so at least Northern has had the foresight to address this.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Very true. RDW is a good solution for high training periods. It is an expensive solution and it's a shame the no-RDW arrangement hasn't been prolonged as an exercise in reducing costs.

Northern had a great service from late Oct 2022 to early summer 2023. General service has been quite poor for 6 months and shows no sign of improvement. Clearly training for new traincrew and 323s can't be done without RDW so at least Northern has had the foresight to address this.

Northern have not had a great service in South Yorkshire for five years.

 

[43066]

Very true. RDW is a good solution for high training periods. It is an expensive solution and it's a shame the no-RDW arrangement hasn't been prolonged as an exercise in reducing costs.

This is often suggested but, as a rule, reliance on overtime to maintain a given level of service is cheaper than employing a full complement of staff. If it were cheaper to do without, why didn’t the privatised TOCs eliminate it when responsible for their own costs? They could easily have done so. Equally, why do entirely private freight companies similarly tend to rely on overtime?

Put another way, removing reliance on RDW might reduce costs, but only if you accept a lower level of service from the same complement of staff (as Avanti are doing in December, as fewer of their drivers are working overtime) or at the very least a much less robust service, because standby turns will be uncovered giving you less flexibility during disruption, and you’ll be unable to cover vacant running turns with available rest day workers at short notice.

 

[Evolution]

9.5 hours for any job length?

That’s correct, it was always a decent agreement but the TPE 175% /10 hours is the industry leading one.

 

[TheEastAnglian]

9.5 hours for any job length?

Yes. Same as Sunday rate. Flat payment regardless of hours worked.

 

[skyhigh]

Yes. Same as Sunday rate. Flat payment regardless of hours worked.

Presuming you are on the West? As Sundays are normal working days on the East and normal pay arrangements apply.

 

[Driver068]

9.5 hours for any job length?

Minimum 9.5 hours, so a 6 hour job would be paid 9.5 hrs x time and a half.

A 10 hour job would be 10 hours at time and a half.

 

[Llandudno]

Problem for the west side at least is that they were making the timetable and train plan work (with some serious effort) with out any RDW and that's been the case for a whole year or more. Sunday issues were mostly down to guards not working Sunday shifts, drivers obviously happy to work. Drivers have been working to booked shifts and refusing overtime as per the union agreement.

That being said they need RDW to pick up on all the 323 training that's coming and there's still loads of road learning.

Not sure the travelling public on the Furness line would agree that Northern are making the timetable work…?

 

[Geeves]

Not sure the travelling public on the Furness line would agree that Northern are making the timetable work…?

I agree its been a real mess, I can only speak for Victoria depot. All the jobs on the Furness and Windermere lines want looking at.

Hopefully RDW will help ease some of the horrendous amount of cancellations

 

[43066]

Minimum 9.5 hours, so a 6 hour job would be paid 9.5 hrs x time and a half.

A 10 hour job would be 10 hours at time and a half.

Pretty decent. Of course it really needs to be set at a rate that will mean people bank enough after tax to incentivise them to do it. At that sort of rate it will be tempting for many drivers who usually don’t do overtime to make themselves available for one or two rest days a month - especially after years of no pay rise. That will substantially increase resourcing levels.

Now to get a sensible overall pay deal agreed across the board which will enable the industry to build back some goodwill with the staff, and in turn the passengers, as the service improves!

 

[TheEastAnglian]

Presuming you are on the West? As Sundays are normal working days on the East and normal pay arrangements apply.

Yeah I am on the west.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Anyone know when this will be effective from?

 

[Mainsideman]

The furness and cumbrian coast line is a joke atm will this help?
Trying to visit my family atm is near impossible with the cancellations?!