Trainee Train Driver - London Paddington

[tiptoptaff]

£28.5k give or take (I believe there’s a pay award pending though). That’s for the duration of training until passout, but it’s reasonable. After passout it’s 80% of the full salary for the first year, 90% year two and finally 100% after three years.

Technically, 100% after two years, as it's 100% in year three

 

[tiptoptaff]

Even qualified drivers are on a reduced wage at gwr for the first year if they go there.
It's wrong.

It's not uncommon at higher paying TOCs

 

[tiptoptaff]

The 80% of the new rate is still higher than the old 100% rate, so no driver is going to be paid less than if the pay award had never happened

 

[tiptoptaff]

No problem. Hope the training is going well?

Going well thanks, getting there slowly!

 

[Twotwo]

It's not uncommon at higher paying TOCs

Mtr do it and I'm sure overground too.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Mtr do it and I'm sure overground too.

XC used to, not sure if they still do. Virgin did it on the WC so would guess Avanti have carried that on

 

[baz962]

Mtr do it and I'm sure overground too.

Qualified driver's coming to arl are straight on top rate

 

[iwasyoungonce]

It will be Psychometric tests next

Do they accept passes from other TOC's

 

[Class2ldn]

Well my company are on nearly 64k without sundays so 51 is a big enough drop.

 

[Twotwo]

Qualified driver's coming to arl are straight on top rate

I was talking about trainee train drivers, not qualified.

 

[Cassy j]

Well my company are on nearly 64k without sundays so 51 is a big enough drop.

What company is that ?

 

[Bucephalus]

What company is that ?

I would hazard a guess at MTR crossrail, Avanti if I'm allowed two guesses

 

[tiptoptaff]

I would hazard a guess at MTR crossrail, Avanti if I'm allowed two guesses

Avanti are aroubd 67

 

[tiptoptaff]

In any case, qualified drivers come in on 90% for first year, so it'll be around 56k come May

 

[baz962]

I was talking about trainee train drivers, not qualified.

Ah well , still soon apply as the first year rate is being abolished.

 

[Class2ldn]

I would hazard a guess at MTR crossrail, Avanti if I'm allowed two guesses

No TL.
Pay date expires in october so should get another rise after that

 

[800 Driver]

(This means able to travel to work within 60 minutes for both your own travel and using public transport, which is not negotiable)

Does anybody live within 60 minutes' drive of Paddington?

Yes, and both the Union and Mgmt are hot on enforcing this as drivers commuting in for ridiculous distances are in no ones interest

 

[f40spider]

What's the pay for this role?
training, year 1, 2 etc.

 

[Stigy]

What's the pay for this role?
training, year 1, 2 etc.

Check post #22.

Although as @tiptoptaff says, the full salary of 100% starts at year three.

 

[SlimJim1694]

The 80% of the new rate is still higher than the old 100% rate, so no driver is going to be paid less than if the pay award had never happened

Thats not the point. It doesn't matter if they are on five quid an hour or fifty quid... the point is that people doing exactly the same job are paid less. What makes a newly qualified drivers labour any less valuable that someone who has been doing it for three years? It basically says to the new drivers that the company do not value them. My TOC is the same, less money first year, threats to make you pay if you leave in 3 years. I was speaking to a manager not long ago about how many drivers are leaving and if the company had any plans to try and stem the flow, and his response was "we don't care how many people leave as long as the work gets covered'. That's the reality of how drivers are viewed, just another number. ASLEF have let far too many little things like this in over the years.

 

[f40spider]

Check post #22.

Although as @tiptoptaff says, the full salary of 100% starts at year three.

What is the full salary?

 

[Railroader22]

It will be Psychometric tests next

Fingers crossed.

 

[800 Driver]

Thats not the point. It doesn't matter if they are on five quid an hour or fifty quid... the point is that people doing exactly the same job are paid less. What makes a newly qualified drivers labour any less valuable that someone who has been doing it for three years? It basically says to the new drivers that the company do not value them. My TOC is the same, less money first year, threats to make you pay if you leave in 3 years. I was speaking to a manager not long ago about how many drivers are leaving and if the company had any plans to try and stem the flow, and his response was "we don't care how many people leave as long as the work gets covered'. That's the reality of how drivers are viewed, just another number. ASLEF have let far too many little things like this in over the years.

The harmonisation deal, which agreed to the phased salary, reduced the max working day to 9h30 and increased the number of breaks in the day. These moves alone created the need for extra drivers. So whilst phased pay it isn't ideal, some of these new jobs only exist because of the harmonisation deal being accepted. You must also consider that trainees once qualified will be on 80% of the new salary (which is still more than 100% of the old salary) and that PQA drivers have to have a lot more management assessment and therefore are more expensive for the company. Qualified drivers start on 90% for the first year but will spend at least 6 months of that route and traction learning. All things considered it's not exactly unjustifiable.

 

[venom ivv]

Anyone heard back from GWR?

I've got email :

We're pleased to let you know that you have successfully passed your recent online assessment(s).

Whilst we endeavour to progress everyone who passes their online assessment to the next stage of the process, this is not always possible when we are dealing with high volumes of applications. On occasions like this and in the interests of fairness, we will only be able to progress those that fall within the top scoring bracket.

Anyone know if they have a look at your previous history? I.e. I have already past all the tests with another TOC

 

[Bobby4126]

Anyone heard back from GWR?

I've got email :

We're pleased to let you know that you have successfully passed your recent online assessment(s).

Whilst we endeavour to progress everyone who passes their online assessment to the next stage of the process, this is not always possible when we are dealing with high volumes of applications. On occasions like this and in the interests of fairness, we will only be able to progress those that fall within the top scoring bracket.

Anyone know if they have a look at your previous history? I.e. I have already past all the tests with another TOC

I have had the same email last week after completing the second assessment. Haven’t heard anything else since. I think it’s pretty much a luck of the draw scenario unfortunately.

 

[SlimJim1694]

The harmonisation deal, which agreed to the phased salary, reduced the max working day to 9h30 and increased the number of breaks in the day. These moves alone created the need for extra drivers. So whilst phased pay it isn't ideal, some of these new jobs only exist because of the harmonisation deal being accepted. You must also consider that trainees once qualified will be on 80% of the new salary (which is still more than 100% of the old salary) and that PQA drivers have to have a lot more management assessment and therefore are more expensive for the company. Qualified drivers start on 90% for the first year but will spend at least 6 months of that route and traction learning. All things considered it's not exactly unjustifiable.

You sound like a manager.

 

[Cassy j]

main differences between SWR and GWR starting off as a trainee train driver?

 

[tiptoptaff]

You sound like a manager.

Or just a sensible driver who knows which side their bread is buttered

 

[SlimJim1694]

Or just a sensible driver who knows which side their bread is buttered

Are you suggesting that a driver who thinks first year drivers should get full whack doesn't know "which side their bread is buttered"? Maybe you could expand on your comment as I'm not really sure what you are getting at.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Are you suggesting that a driver who thinks first year drivers should get full whack doesn't know "which side their bread is buttered"? Maybe you could expand on your comment as I'm not really sure what you are getting at.

They provided a very good explanation of what had to be given up in order to move forward with harmonisation and the substantial pay increases that non-high speed drivers had been after for a long long time. Especially as they know even 80% is more than 100% if we'd been left as the poor relation, as we'd been treated for years.

We've finally reached amicable middle ground and still have a strong position for negotiating Sundays going forward. Would I like to be straight on 61.5k? Absolutely. But do I accept that if I wasn't starting on 53k I'd never get to 61.5? Again, absolutely.