ASLEF vs. RMT

[Taunton]

But whether you were ASLEF, NUR or TSSA, everyone hated the TGWU - they represented the bus and truck drivers and were very anti-rail.

At Taunton however the bus drivers for Western National, garage at the other end of the town, were in the NUR. This had apparently always been so, going back to when the Great Western Railway sold their bus services to the National Bus Company in 1930. It was a significant part of the standoff over the new West Somerset Railway being allowed to run through to Taunton station - the union group also represented Minehead bus garage, where the only reasonable route financially was that to Taunton, and if the new railway took much of that the garage would likely be closed. The WSR enthusiast management group did not help things by not noticing this, and continuing to emphasise an all day (diesel) service 365 days a year - which of course never happened. But as a result the NUR for years would not have anything to do with anything WSR.

Maybe some other bus garages were NUR. Are any still?

 

[6Gman]

At Taunton however the bus drivers for Western National, garage at the other end of the town, were in the NUR. This had apparently always been so, going back to when the Great Western Railway sold their bus services to the National Bus Company in 1930. It was a significant part of the standoff over the new West Somerset Railway being allowed to run through to Taunton station - the union group also represented Minehead bus garage, where the only reasonable route financially was that to Taunton, and if the new railway took much of that the garage would likely be closed. The WSR enthusiast management group did not help things by not noticing this, and continuing to emphasise an all day (diesel) service 365 days a year - which of course never happened. But as a result the NUR for years would not have anything to do with anything WSR.

Maybe some other bus garages were NUR. Are any still?

I believe Crosville's depot at Wrexham was NUR for similar reasons.

 

[Dr_Paul]

I heard somewhere that on the London Underground the NUR represented the drivers, except on the Metropolitan Line, where ASLEF represented them. This was because the Met had actual locomotives, whereas the other lines didn't, and that ASLEF didn't consider EMU drivers, motormen, as proper drivers. Is this true?

 

[eldomtom2]

As far as I'm aware ASLEF always considered motormen under its jurisdiction, and IIRC there were disputes when EMUs were first introduced on the LBSC since motormen were not recruited from steam drivers and received lower wages.

 

[Belperpete]

I heard somewhere that on the London Underground the NUR represented the drivers, except on the Metropolitan Line, where ASLEF represented them. This was because the Met had actual locomotives, whereas the other lines didn't, and that ASLEF didn't consider EMU drivers, motormen, as proper drivers. Is this true?

All the lines started with locomotives. Both the Met and the District started with steam locomotives. The tube lines also started with locomotive hauled trains, albeit electric rather than steam locos.

However, the Met was independent of the rest of the Yerkes-controlled underground network, with its own version of the roundel (a "squarel"? I believe that a few of these still exist at Moorgate?). More importantly, the Met considered itself a mainline railway, with its ambitions to head off north beyond Verney Junction, and under the Channel.

 

[Rescars]

More importantly, the Met considered itself a mainline railway, with its ambitions to head off north beyond Verney Junction, and under the Channel.

.... and the only part of the Underground to have operated Pullman cars.