Rail Gourmet workers win pay rise.

[YorkRailFan]

RMT Press Office:

Contracted out caterers working on TransPennine Express services have won a 21.21% pay increase following multiple strikes.

RMT members employed by Rail Gourmet will see their average salary increase by over £4000 this year.
Workers also won concessions around duty and leisure travel and an agreed roadmap towards improving wages and conditions further into the future.
RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch said: “This is a fantastic victory for some of the most exploited workers on the railway.
“Only through the steadfast dedication and unity have Rail Gourmet workers achieved such an impressive pay increase.
“What this success shows is strike action and industrial muscle at the negotiating table achieves results.
“All contractors in the railway industry must be pressured to pay their workers properly, and to give them good conditions in the workplace.
“RMT will never shy away from that fight and ultimately all contracted out staff on the network must be brought back in the house.”

Additionally, the RMT posted on Twitter/X: VICTORY: Rail Gourmet workers win pay rise: Contracted out caterers working on TransPennine Express services have won a 21.21% pay increase following multiple strikes
@RMTunion
members employed by Rail Gourmet will see their average salary increase by over £4000 this year

@RMTunion
general secretary, Mick Lynch said: "This is a fantastic victory for some of the most exploited workers on the railway. "What this success shows is strike action and industrial muscle at the negotiating table achieves results." #JoinAUnion

Another win for the RMT and it's workers, congratulations to the hard working Rail Gourmet staff!

 

[Blindtraveler]

One of the very first things that first group did when they took over ScotRail was to bring all on train catering in-house. Bit sad that this policy has not stuck with them on other franchises that they have subsequently held and of course even now in olr hands you've still got subcontracted catering staff all over the network on tpe and others. Depressing situation and would make much more sense for these grades to be back in-house again but maybe doing so it would be unviable?

 

[YorkRailFan]

One of the very first things that first group did when they took over ScotRail was to bring all on train catering in-house. Bit sad that this policy has not stuck with them on other franchises that they have subsequently held and of course even now in olr hands you've still got subcontracted catering staff all over the network on tpe and others. Depressing situation and would make much more sense for these grades to be back in-house again but maybe doing so it would be unviable?

It would cost more than outsourcing staff and the DfT is all about lowering costs.

 

[Kite159]

Cue further cutbacks on catering for TPE assuming it hasn't already been cut back to the bone in preparation for the reduced timetable

 

[Fokx]

Cue further cutbacks on catering for TPE assuming it hasn't already been cut back to the bone in preparation for the reduced timetable

The opposite is happening, enhanced catering is coming early 2024 on selected routes including double crewing on Anglo-Scottish

 

[185]

Catering operations should pay for themselves, and many clueless bosses in the sector, averse to making it fiscally successful are slowly being kicked out. One manager stuck her nose up at the thought of reintroducing cheapo instant coffee for £1-£1.50, instead wanting some posh branded nonsense - that £3-a-cup cost led to sales dropping sharply and the catering being scaled back.

 

[Carlisle]

It would cost more than outsourcing staff and the DfT is all about lowering costs.

Can’t just blame Dft, TOCs had years before Covid to take contracts in house if they wished , a few did but most either didn’t or outsourced further.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Can’t just blame Dft, TOCs had years before Covid to take contracts in house if they wished , a few did but most either didn’t or outsourced further.

Mainly because the franchise (yes, it was a franchise then) wanted to cut costs to meet the contract requirements.

 

[Kite159]

The opposite is happening, enhanced catering is coming early 2024 on selected routes including double crewing on Anglo-Scottish

Double crewing for first class where the trolley remains due to the usual epic overcrowding on the toy trains?

 

[dk1]

The opposite is happening, enhanced catering is coming early 2024 on selected routes including double crewing on Anglo-Scottish

Excellent news.

 

[43066]

Another win for the RMT and it's workers, congratulations to the hard working Rail Gourmet staff!

A great result, and well deserved for low paid workers doing what looks to be quite an unpleasant job at times.

 

[YorkRailFan]

A great result, and well deserved for low paid workers doing what looks to be quite an unpleasant job at times.

An underappreciated job.

 

[MDB1images]

Great news, along with what's planned on the WCML in terms of catering uplift.

 

[Facing Back]

Great news, along with what's planned on the WCML in terms of catering uplift.

What is planned for the WCML?

 

[YorkRailFan]

What is planned for the WCML?

Enhanced catering on certain Anglo-Scottish routes with TPE.

 

[Facing Back]

Enhanced catering on certain Anglo-Scottish routes with TPE.

Cheers. Nothing on Avanti?

 

[dk1]

Cheers. Nothing on Avanti?

Don’t Avanti have a ‘new catering offer’ with the 805/807 fleet? No further info as far as I know released yet though.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Cheers. Nothing on Avanti?

Not as far as I'm aware.

 

[Travelmonkey]

I personally think Avanti is one of the better placed with catering thanks to the "shop" model laid in from the virgin days, although usually cash only on the voyagers, I also know avanti have a decent 1st class offering if you can score a good deal I had a lovely breakfast sarnie and a beef ragu pasta dish on a recent Edinburgh-Crewe run, although back to the subject at hand it's good to see catering still remaining relevant in the 2020s although a coffee and a pack of crisps isn't really peak meal it's good to have provisions hopefully this shows some RG improvements on XC and EMR,

 

[kw12]

Will there be any extra costs for TPE as a result of this pay increase? For example, will there be any changes to the fees that TPE pays Rail Gourmet for providing complimentary refreshments to passengers travelling First Class?

 

[Carlisle]

Will there be any extra costs for TPE as a result of this pay increase?

I expect so, otherwise it’d be problematic for the TOC to publicly defend utilising contractors in roles with broadly similar entry requirements to a sizeable proportion of their own workforce but on considerably less money, inferior T&Cs & almost no additional benefits.

 

[winks]

How do Rail Gourmet staff get duty/leisure travel ? Is this like a paper pass or actual “priv travel” RST?