First Great Western Train Driving

[oxoneil]

I've been doing my current job for 8 years and guess what, all of the 15 to 20 years in mob are saying exactly the same thing. It's the same everywhere it seems and newbies will never see the downsides as, has already been said, they're just happy to be doing something new.

 

[driver9000]

They don't see the bigger picture or read between the lines, nor do they heed the warnings that us senior old farts who've been on the job warn them about, they seem quite happy to sell their T&C's down the river for the cheapest possible price. All they ****ing well think about is the money, they just don't seem to realise that they're about to stitch themselves up.

Hey, what do I know, I've only been on the job, longer than some of them have been out of their old man's ball bag. :roll:

The great T&C sell off started long before many of the "newbies" were anywhere near the railways and it was happening when the BR some old hands get teary eyed about was still in existence. But hey why not tar them all with the same brush :roll:

I agree the idea of the job outsiders have isn't necessarily the perfect world they hope it to be but I don't think it's fair to call all new starters money grabbers. I'm not a newbie to the job but nor am I a world weary old boy but I don't chase money and my T&Cs are very valuable to me. Compared to other jobs that a lot of new starters come from the driving grade is a great place to work and you could say they DO see the bigger picture because they know life outside the railways - I remember the awful pay I was on for the long hours I worked and I'm very grateful to have got in when I did.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

The great T&C sell off started long before many of the "newbies" were anywhere near the railways and it was happening when the BR some old hands get teary eyed about was still in existence. But hey why not tar them all with the same brush :roll:

I agree the idea of the job outsiders have isn't necessarily the perfect world they hope it to be but I don't think it's fair to call all new starters money grabbers. I'm not a newbie to the job but nor am I a world weary old boy but I don't chase money and my T&Cs are very valuable to me. Compared to other jobs that a lot of new starters come from the driving grade is a great place to work and you could say they DO see the bigger picture because they know life outside the railways - I remember the awful pay I was on for the long hours I worked and I'm very grateful to have got in when I did.

That's the thing though. Those of us who've been on the railway a good few years have seen our T&Cs eroded and now there's not much left at all.

The newbies (OK, the majority) but not all, I'll give you that don't know what they're up to and are probably stupid enough to vote for an 10-11hr day again! TBQH as for the 4 day week, it really sucks. I'm more knackered now with it, than whatever I was with the old system, because your body clock adjusted to the 5-6 day stints, now you get 3 on, 2 off, 2 on & all sorts of permutations, at least with our depot we don't get a single day off anywhere, but it still sucks.

 

[W230]

The newbies (OK, the majority) but not all, I'll give you that don't know what they're up to and are probably stupid enough to vote for an 10-11hr day again! TBQH as for the 4 day week, it really sucks. I'm more knackered now with it, than whatever I was with the old system, because your body clock adjusted to the 5-6 day stints, now you get 3 on, 2 off, 2 on & all sorts of permutations, at least with our depot we don't get a single day off anywhere, but it still sucks.

Again, i'm PQA so will go by your experience but the one thing I would say (as already said above though) is that I am certainly not interested in selling conditions for the money.

Because this job pays more than my last with much much better conditions I have no interest whatsoever at being at work more just to swill the tax coffers. The time off was one of the biggest draws to this job (I love that I work less days a year than the missus who is a teacher - she had the cheek to call me part time the other day ) I don't work Sundays or rest days and will continue to not work them for as long as those Sundays stay outside! In truth I would think that most newbies aren't interested in selling conditions having done long hours in rubbish jobs before but I know the allure of the RDW is a great one for some. I think if I wanted more money i'd go to LOROL not sell conditions where I was.

 

[MichaelAMW]

That's the thing though. Those of us who've been on the railway a good few years have seen our T&Cs eroded and now there's not much left at all.

The newbies (OK, the majority) but not all, I'll give you that don't know what they're up to and are probably stupid enough to vote for an 10-11hr day again! TBQH as for the 4 day week, it really sucks. I'm more knackered now with it, than whatever I was with the old system, because your body clock adjusted to the 5-6 day stints, now you get 3 on, 2 off, 2 on & all sorts of permutations, at least with our depot we don't get a single day off anywhere, but it still sucks.

Just for clarity, could you say exactly what has changed such that you feel "there's not much left at all" in your T&Cs? Is it (just) these points, i.e. irregular shift lengths and somewhat random patterns of days on and off?

 

[455driver]

HD-
What about the nearly retired lot that sold your Sundays all those years ago knowing full well they wouldnt have to work them!

Its not just the newbies that have effed the job up!

 

[HarleyDavidson]

There is that.

We used to have a reasonable 7-9hr day, on DRI that went rocketing to 6-11hr day, we're now back to 9½ max day, with certain caveats. We should be back at 7-9hr day by now.

Then there's the way you can be booked covering leave, the movement is too lax, whereas it used to be strict. It's all of the finer details that go to make a set of bigger issues that "muddy the waters" for the want an expression, which hide some of the nastier stuff. So that it looks good, but in reality it's ****.

I never voted for a 4 day week,I never would. According to some sources our lot are now after a 32 hr week! Yeah, but what's the strings? 10-11hr days again? No thanks!

Anyway enough said as things are in danger of getting highly political & going towards union bashing etc.

 

[arty762]

May I ask if you've a railwayman throughout your working career or someone who came to the job from outside?

Reason I ask is at the depot I work at, the career guys are totally fed up with the same reasons as you. Those that have come from outside industries (like myself) seem to have a much more positive outlook feeling like we've escaped from our previous employers! (but give it time hey? )

i would agree with that totally, i came from outside and i love it on the railway , i earn double what i earned out there, and i get twice as much time off.