Strike Free TOCs/ Areas

[313103]

With regard to harmonisation of groups of staff and companies it is also an idea that Management want as well. The reason being is that it would make it easier for groups like the paybill dept and HR to have everyone on the same t&c.

It has been mentioned that unions shouldn't be demanding the higher and best terms for its members. In the same light then the company shouldn't be expecting its staff to have the lowest common denominator.

As i mentioned earlier the RMT walked away from the table of NEG after five years of protracted negotiations (two years ago)over harminsation of groups because the company only wanted the worse of the three companies conditions and were not prepared to negotiate upwards. So as the company were mot prepared to go upwards the union decided it would not go downwards. So the two got intrenched in postion and neither was prepared to move. So on NEG you still have Anglia Railways, Great Eastern and West Anglia staff employed in one company all on different terms and conditions.

 

[Lampshade]

As an open question - why do you say this? Why has it been harder to merge these two (similar) areas, whilst it's been possible to merge Wessex/ FGW/ Thames?

Because from a passenger perspective it's made things worse. Rather than two companies with two HQs centered around its own area we've got a large company with most resources centered around Leeds where Northern are based. It's almost as if you're travelling with a completely different company on the Eastern side, it might be an improvement over ATN but FNW were better in just about every way.

 

[Flamingo]

FGW have not harmonised. Drivers voted against it on I believe 3 separate occasions, against ASLEF wishes.

Guards have harmonised within FGW. You need more to run trains than drivers, I hate to have to remind you

However, on that occasion the RMT made the hard-sell on how good a deal it was, and several members (including myself) believed them. The reality of it was a lot of practices that were beneficial to members were sold out for a small pay-rise. Not much mention about that in the usual places.

(It was the only time I have ever voted yes for something the RMT has asked for me to vote for - that'll teach me!)

I have to say, the "strike" tactic gets trotted out around pay negotiation time as part of the dance. I have been asked by the RMT to vote for strike action many times over the years. I have never actually gone out on strike, or sat in a depot unable to work because of strike action by anybody else.

 

[TheBigD]

Guards have harmonised within FGW. You need more to run trains than drivers, I hate to have to remind you

I should have remembered that as I used to be one. Doh!

 

[radamfi]

If TOC A pays more then there will inevitably be some staff who want to transfer for the higher salaries on offer.

TOC B will then have a choice. Constantly pay for for recruitment and training to replace them, or up the salaries to stop people joining TOC A. And training up a driver from scratch ain't cheap!

The franchising and fragmentation has created this situation.

When bus franchising was introduced in London in the 80s, wages went down dramatically as the industry had to become leaner to compete with new cheap operators. However although they went back up again with the driver shortage associated with the huge growth in the London bus network over the last 10 years.

Given the growth in the rail network since privatisation there must be a lot more train drivers needed, and hence shortages have similarly driven up wages.

So maybe the huge train driver wage increase is not necessarily to do with franchising and more to do with a shortage?

Presumably there will be less of a shortage of drivers in future as services are not going to increase at the same rate. There will be less need to train drivers from scratch. So TOCs will not need to increase wages so much.

 

[rmt-driver]

I don't think there have been any strikes on LUL in memorable years have there ??

:P

 

[Greenback]

I have to say, the "strike" tactic gets trotted out around pay negotiation time as part of the dance. I have been asked by the RMT to vote for strike action many times over the years. I have never actually gone out on strike, or sat in a depot unable to work because of strike action by anybody else.

'part of the dance' - that's a lovely turn of phrase! So much better than my way of trying to say the same thing!