ATW Drivers Strike

[455driver]

Its about time these idiots left their ego's outside the door and had some meaningful talks to stop these disputes before they get to this stage, there should be no need for strikes in this day and age, its just pathetic that people are being forced to take this sort of action!

Why do they suddenly need to change the terms and conditions of the drivers contracts?
What are they trying to gain from it?
I am all for modernisation etc as long as it is 'better' than what we have now, I don't agree with downgrading things or change for changes sake!

 

[TDK]

Its about time these idiots left their ego's outside the door and had some meaningful talks to stop these disputes before they get to this stage, there should be no need for strikes in this day and age, its just pathetic that people are being forced to take this sort of action!

Why do they suddenly need to change the terms and conditions of the drivers contracts?What are they trying to gain from it?
I am all for modernisation etc as long as it is 'better' than what we have now, I don't agree with downgrading things or change for changes sake!

Incorrect, if you need the accurate info PM me buddy!

 

[craigybagel]

Strike's gone ahead. No ATW services at all all day.

 

[PHILIPE]

GWR 07 30 Carmarthen to Paddington started Llanelli today due to ATW Drivers Strike. Sound somewhat strange. Reason was Carmarthen station so full up with stabled units, there was nowhere to accomodate it.

 

[alb1]

I was on the 0758 Swansea to Paddington this morning and expected it to be busier than usual to accommodate extra passengers from the 0744 ex Milford Haven, which is often busy with commuters as far as Cardiff.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Swansea station was virtually deserted and I think there were about 4 of us in the carriage most of the way to Bridgend. Even the TM remarked how quiet it was when we pulled out of Swansea.

His announcement on the way into CDF amused me though: "Change here for Valley Lines services to... Oh, no don't do that. Not today. Change here for the 0900 service to Plymouth or the... Oh nope, not that either. Plymouth. Just Plymouth."

 

[PHILIPE]

I was on the 0758 Swansea to Paddington this morning and expected it to be busier than usual to accommodate extra passengers from the 0744 ex Milford Haven, which is often busy with commuters as far as Cardiff.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Swansea station was virtually deserted and I think there were about 4 of us in the carriage most of the way to Bridgend. Even the TM remarked how quiet it was when we pulled out of Swansea.

His announcement on the way into CDF amused me though: "Change here for Valley Lines services to... Oh, no don't do that. Not today. Change here for the 0900 service to Plymouth or the... Oh nope, not that either. Plymouth. Just Plymouth."

09 00 Cardiff to Plymouth ran. It is a GWR train.

 

[headshot119]

GWR 07 30 Carmarthen to Paddington started Llanelli today due to ATW Drivers Strike. Sound somewhat strange. Reason was Carmarthen station so full up with stabled units, there was nowhere to accomodate it.

That would sound about right to me. As there should have been at least 4 x 175, plus 2 x 150 to make up what would have been this mornings service.

 

[PHILIPE]

That would sound about right to me. As there should have been at least 4 x 175, plus 2 x 150 to make up what would have been this mornings service.

Plus 1 x 158.

 

[Markdvdman]

Utter chaos today. Had to catch a 6:05am bus from Merthyr, and rammed in Ponty, was 30 mins late getting to Cardiff. Then I had to get a bus to Ty Verlon and finding the stop was hell - that was late and I was 30 mins late for work. Left work 45 mins early, and got back 10 mins later than normal.

Cost me £10.20 whereas a weekly Merthyr to Cadoxton costs me £26.90 (soon to be £27.10).

Reality is it has hurt many like me in the pocket - so Arriva had better wake up and start being accountable for their actions and agree decent T+Cs!

 

[455driver]

Reality is it has hurt many like me in the pocket - so Arriva had better wake up and start being accountable for their actions and agree decent T+Cs!

They did agree them, they just didnt/wont stick to them!

I had an interesting PM from an ATW driver outlining the reasons for the dispute, to say the Management are extracting the urine would be an understatement!

Good luck to the drivers, all they are after is Management to stick to the (quite generous to the company) agreements they signed up for, it isn't too much to ask is it?

 

[trainophile]

So when's the next strike then?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

So when's the next strike then?

Indeed. How will the effects of today's strike now affect the TOC negotiators in their next set of meetings with the union?

 

[455driver]

Please note the following reply is from my optimistic head and not my normal cynical head which has had to go in for its Annual service/overhaul!

Indeed. How will the effects of today's strike now affect the TOC negotiators in their next set of meetings with the union?

Hopefully Management will realise the strength of feeling amongst the drivers about this issue (entirely of managements making) and realise that they have to stick to what they agreed previously!

Problem solved!

 

[ainsworth74]

Please note the following reply is from my optimistic head and not my normal cynical head which has had to go in for its Annual service/overhaul!

I'm not sure we can cope with that. Perhaps you best stay away until your cynical head is back from its C6!

 

[ScouserGirl]

What makes me laugh when GWR had a strike everyone went bonkers over it now ATW went on strike no one is going mad as far as I know anyway, but ATW are "apparently" one of the worst paid TOCs, it's difficult as you will get people supporting the strike then you will also get people who don't! I wouldn't be surprised if there is another strike soon!

 

[northwichcat]

What makes me laugh when GWR had a strike everyone went bonkers over it now ATW went on strike no one is going mad as far as I know anyway, but ATW are "apparently" one of the worst paid TOCs, it's difficult as you will get people supporting the strike then you will also get people who don't! I wouldn't be surprised if there is another strike soon!

While some people wish they didn't ASLEF do make public salaries and benefits of their members. ATW drivers earn £43,868.00, they have 100% Pensionable Pay, a 4 day week, 28 days leave, free travel on other Arriva/DB services: http://www.aslef.org.uk/information/102222/102225/102366/arriva_trains_wales/

Merseyrail drivers get similar conditions and earn £43,412, while Northern, GWR and LM drivers earn more but some of the latter two are obviously London based where living costs are much higher than in Wales.

 

[headshot119]

They did agree them, they just didnt/wont stick to them!

I had an interesting PM from an ATW driver outlining the reasons for the dispute, to say the Management are extracting the urine would be an understatement!

Good luck to the drivers, all they are after is Management to stick to the (quite generous to the company) agreements they signed up for, it isn't too much to ask is it?

Great move by the management, agreeing to a set of terms, going away writing them up then adding in bits that means that don't have to stick to what they originally agreed.

Firmly ATWs fault all of this I'm afraid. I don't blame the drivers for taking this as far as strike action.

For anyone else reading the thread who disagrees just think about this.

You work a fixed shift every day, lets say 12:00 - 20:00. All of a sudden the management want the ability to change that "for short term planning" but they don't need to give a reason for the "Short term planning" so all of a sudden they give you a rota that has you on 10:00 - 22:00, and you get no say in the matter.

Childcare ? Time at home with the kids? Spending a couple of hours with the other half before she starts her night shift?

 

[TDK]

While some people wish they didn't ASLEF do make public salaries and benefits of their members. ATW drivers earn £43,868.00, they have 100% Pensionable Pay, a 4 day week, 28 days leave, free travel on other Arriva/DB services: http://www.aslef.org.uk/information/102222/102225/102366/arriva_trains_wales/

Merseyrail drivers get similar conditions and earn £43,412, while Northern, GWR and LM drivers earn more but some of the latter two are obviously London based where living costs are much higher than in Wales.

Is London Weighting still applicable? Chiltern have something in force where the drivers based in London have shorter shifts to compensate. If you check the annual salaries on the ASLEF website you will fins that ATW drivers are at the bottom of the pool near enough when it comes to Salary and do the same job. The dispute isn't about pay by the way it's all about conditions as published correctly in the media.

 

[northwichcat]

Is London Weighting still applicable? Chiltern have something in force where the drivers based in London have shorter shifts to compensate. If you check the annual salaries on the ASLEF website you will fins that ATW drivers are at the bottom of the pool near enough when it comes to Salary and do the same job. The dispute isn't about pay by the way it's all about conditions as published correctly in the media.

I was replying to a post about ATW staff being one of the worst paid. I don't think TOCs do pay a London allowance unlike other big organisations but instead have instead brought non-London salaries up to the same level as London salaries meaning someone based in Crewe working for LM does much better than someone based in London.

 

[A-driver]

A few companies still have London weighting but many seem to have sold it for salary. On the ex fcc side of GTR we don't get London allowances so a driver at kings cross who lives in London earns the same as a kings Lynn driver living in Norfolk where the cost of housing is almost half that of London.

 

[the sniper]

Merseyrail drivers get similar conditions and earn £43,412, while Northern, GWR and LM drivers earn more but some of the latter two are obviously London based where living costs are much higher than in Wales.

I don't think there's a LM driver depot at Euston, there certainly never used to be. If there is it's probably a pretty small contingent. The closest main train crew depot to London for drivers is at Bletchley.

 

[Carlisle]

You work a fixed shift every day, lets say 12:00 - 20:00. All of a sudden the management want the ability to change that "for short term planning"

Childcare ?

Probably better of working in retail, back office or something similar if you want those kind of long term garuntees.The operational side of the railway has always required a bit more flexibility in order to operate successfully at reasonable cost,that's s a major part of the reason it usually pays significantly better rates

 

[northwichcat]

Probably better of working in retail, back office or something similar if you want those kind of long term garuntees.The operational side of the railway has always required a bit more flexibility in order to operate successfully at reasonable cost,that's s a major part of the reason it usually pays significantly better rates

With retail operations now being 24 hours a day and 7 days a week due to online shopping a job in retail doesn't still mean working shop opening hours + up to half an hour before/after.

I've heard one Wales based call centre tried to get local people to work overnight and it was unsuccessful. So they came up with plan B which involved offering employees the chance to work in New Zealand for a few months working New Zealand days but UK nights and it worked very well.

 

[Bellbell]

Probably better of working in retail, back office or something similar if you want those kind of long term garuntees.The operational side of the railway has always required a bit more flexibility in order to operate successfully at reasonable cost,that's s a major part of the reason it usually pays significantly better rates

Most railway staff I know understand the need for a bit of flexibility and it's built into our jobs anyway with spare turns. Similarly, everyone accepts that occasionally the job will go up the wall and you'll be late home. It's annoying, but it happens.

My understanding though is that ATW want to be able to extend day length under the guise of STP but won't commit to any restrictions on the circumstances under which this would be acceptable.

 

[A-driver]

Probably better of working in retail, back office or something similar if you want those kind of long term garuntees.The operational side of the railway has always required a bit more flexibility in order to operate successfully at reasonable cost,that's s a major part of the reason it usually pays significantly better rates

There is a huge difference between being flexible as an employee and signing over to your employer a blank sheet for them to do whatever they want regarding rostering changes. The latter is what ATW are trying to get through. Flexibility isn't an issue as long as agreements are made and stuck to to avoid employees being abused. That applies to all industries however, sadly, in many industries employees have lost all control and have no choice but to allow this kind of abuse from their employer.

 

[313103]

What makes me laugh when GWR had a strike everyone went bonkers over it now ATW went on strike no one is going mad as far as I know anyway, but ATW are "apparently" one of the worst paid TOCs, it's difficult as you will get people supporting the strike then you will also get people who don't! I wouldn't be surprised if there is another strike soon!

Could well be its the grade/grades involved, most of the wibble ive seen on here is very ANTI Guard. Very rare on here do you see anything positive about any other role other then driver. Everyone it seems wants to be one and will not even think another member of railway staff actually exists.

Could well be also to do with rolling stock changes. HST's are 40 plus years old and require a Guard and buffet staff, so that is bad. Hitachi trains will be new, dont need a Guard and dont need buffet staff so that must be good.

These two reasons are what i have gathered by reading through numerous threads in this forum, why FGW dispute got negative press in here and in other forms of the media, whilst this recent dispute on ATW has not had the type of negative response i was expecting to see.

 

[headshot119]

Probably better of working in retail, back office or something similar if you want those kind of long term garuntees.The operational side of the railway has always required a bit more flexibility in order to operate successfully at reasonable cost,that's s a major part of the reason it usually pays significantly better rates

Having worked in retail you must be joking if you think it gives any sort of long term guarantees.

One week I'd work 12:00 - 20:00 on a Wednesday, the next it might be 10:00 - 22:00, then next 10:00 - 14:00.

My experience of retail rotas, and the amount of **** taking that used to go on is one of the reasons I'm so supportive of this action by the ATW drivers. It's not something I'd want to lose out of my conditions.

 

[455driver]

Probably better of working in retail, back office or something similar if you want those kind of long term guarantees. The operational side of the railway has always required a bit more flexibility in order to operate successfully at reasonable cost, that's s a major part of the reason it usually pays significantly better rates

The staff are being flexible, but management want to take that flexibility to a whole new level.

Would you be happy if you looked at your roster and on Friday 22 January you were turn 12, starting at 0725 and finishing at 1615 paying 8hr50min, but on Monday 18 January the alteration sheet for Friday 22 January gets posted and turn 12 is cancelled and you are now booked on STP turn 1012, starting at 0725 and finishing at 1915, the new STP turn does exactly the same work as turn 12 up to 1615 but then you have to do 2 addition trips before finishing!

There are no engineering works or sporting events on etc, the 2 additional trips are normally on LTP turn 27 which has been cancelled (due to no driver available because the depot is 8 drivers short) and split up with the work added onto other <cancelled> LTP diagrams (turning them into very long STP diagrams) meaning the drivers who are on these <made up> STP diagrams are now working an 11hr50 day instead of their normal 8hr50, is that fair?

Oh they could also do it on the other 3 days you are booked to work that week so your 35 hour week has suddenly become a 47 hour week, but because they are <made up> STP diagrams you don't get a shorter working week later on to get your hours back down, you just get paid the overtime even though you haven't been asked if you want to work overtime.

This has been going on for a while now and is not what STP diagrams are for, they are there to take account of engineering work or special events etc that do have an effect on the service, not to take account of poor planning from Management!

 

[atw driver]

No progress at today's talks

 

[ComUtoR]

This has been going on for a while now and is not what STP diagrams are for, they are there to take account of engineering work or special events etc that do have an effect on the service, not to take account of poor planning from Management!

We call them "composites"