XC industrial action CONFIRMED

[jamesontheroad]

For 'action' read 'inaction' ... :roll:

Rail workers plan month of action
Press Assoc.
Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090728/tuk-rail-workers-plan-month-of-action-6323e80.html

Rail workers at Arriva Cross Country are to stage a month of industrial action in a row over pay and working conditions. Skip related content

It will include a ban on overtime and refusing to pick up litter from trains.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said the action will start next Monday and continue until September 2 following a 4-1 vote in favour of a campaign short of a strike.

The union claimed that industrial relations had broken down at the company, which runs services across England and into Wales and Scotland.

General secretary Bob Crow said: "Our members have shown their anger at the divisive approach taken by Arriva Cross Country in respect of pay and a wide range of issues relating to working conditions, and this action is aimed at forcing the company back to the table to negotiate a fair deal for all staff.

"This is just another example of a rail franchise company looking to maximise its own profits at the expense of the workforce and RMT members have demonstrated in the ballot just how determined they are to secure justice."

On the subject of on-board cleaners, train crew mentioned to me a few weeks ago that the travelling cleaning staff had been cut right back. There was no mention then of ticket inspectors or catering crew taking on those responsibilities. I mentioned this in an email to XC customer support on my return (because by the time our beautifully refurbished HST from PLY reached GLC, it was a real mess inside) and this was part of the reply:

"In recent weeks you are correct that we have changed the contract that we have for onboard cleaners. We have reduced the number of cleaners that will board our trains as it passes through the Midlands area but have increased the contract when the train arrives at its last station on a particular journey so that the train is given a more thorough clean. To compensate this, our onboard team will be passing through the trains at regular intervals to clear rubbish, tables etc.throughout the trains journey."

 

[yorkie]

Bob Crow means business by calling them "Arriva Cross Country" they really seem to hate being called that!

If they treat their staff the way they treat their customers, then I can see why people are striking. Their ticket conditions are so draconian that in many cases (particularly before 0930) is cheaper to go via London, which would have been unheard of back in 'InterCity' days.

It sounds like they are asking the TMs to effectively become part time cleaners? No doubt that is going to make people unhappy!

Are they also trying to create parity between drivers/guards on what used to be Central Trains services and what used to be Virgin XC? If so that is likely to cause aggro given that the terms were very different between the two. I seem to recall reading about this a year or so ago but no strike occured that I can remember, has that issue been brewing all this time or is this purely over the cleaning issue?

 

[merlodlliw]

For 'action' read 'inaction' ... :roll:

Love the P.A stock picture of a none existant XC 158, Mr Crow realises
the ressesion is over, reminds me of the "who draws the white line" before multi tasking. Having heard some of the Arriva suits speaking at meetings
I am not surprised at a backlash.

 

[generalvegitable]

does anyone know when the strike happens?

 

[jopsuk]

Mr Crow realises
the ressesion is over,

It is? news to millions, that.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

does anyone know when the strike happens?

As said in the article, there is no strike as such. An overtime ban and on board crew only carrying out their contractual duties. Trains will be cancelled due to lack of staff, and they'll be scruffier at journey ends, but there's little way of fully predicting which services will be affected I guess.

 

[jamesontheroad]

does anyone know when the strike happens?

The article simply says:

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said the action will start next Monday and continue until September 2 following a 4-1 vote in favour of a campaign short of a strike.

...so we're probably looking at a month of sporadic action from 3 August - 2 September. Yip-dee-doo.

 

[theblackwatch]

The article simply says:



...so we're probably looking at a month of sporadic action from 3 August - 2 September. Yip-dee-doo.

Surely the phrase in favour of a campaign short of a strike indicates that they are NOT going on strike? Hence your subject line is inaccurate and misleading.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Surely the phrase in favour of a campaign short of a strike indicates that they are NOT going on strike? Hence your subject line is inaccurate and misleading.

Quite true, I posted a little excitedly. I'd welcome a change to the title if a mod would be so kind.

 

[merlodlliw]

Quite true, I posted a little excitedly. I'd welcome a change to the title if a mod would be so kind.

Its more a work to rule type threat,like the old days. I dont think you were
too zealous.

 

[90019]

Love the P.A stock picture of a none existant XC 158

It's a 156 in Northern Spirit livery, with Arriva logos, which did exist.

 

[merlodlliw]

It's a 156 in Northern Spirit livery, with Arriva logos, which did exist.

OK we had a few 158s in Northern colours when Arriva took the Wales
franchise,thought it was one of them,but never in XC.

 

[Mojo]

Bob Crow means business by calling them "Arriva Cross Country" they really seem to hate being called that!

That's because that isn't their name. People don't go around making a big deal that London Midland doesn't contain "GoVia," so let them choose what to be called. I believe it's that way as the management style is different from other Arriva franchises. Before NX decided to rebrand, people didn't consider it "suspect" that they didn't put "National Express" in their TOC names.

It sounds like they are asking the TMs to effectively become part time cleaners? No doubt that is going to make people unhappy!

Retail Service Managers & First Class Hosts are supposed to be doing litterpicks, and I believe some rosters were changed to give more members of staff on a few trains.

Are they also trying to create parity between drivers/guards on what used to be Central Trains services and what used to be Virgin XC? If so that is likely to cause aggro given that the terms were very different between the two. I seem to recall reading about this a year or so ago but no strike occured that I can remember, has that issue been brewing all this time or is this purely over the cleaning issue?

I believe harmonisation is part of the issue, with favourable terms in each of the different contracts. 'mumrar' might know more than I do though.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Quite true, I posted a little excitedly. I'd welcome a change to the title if a mod would be so kind.

Don't think anything wrong with it, it is industrial action but not a strike.

Anyway, people can change the title of their threads themselves by double clicking the blank space next to it.

 

[theblackwatch]

Quite true, I posted a little excitedly. I'd welcome a change to the title if a mod would be so kind.

Done - I have changed 'strike' to 'industrial action'.

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

How likely is this to affect the day-to-day running of the service? I'm planning on travelling to the south west with crosscountry several times during August (including once on a Sunday) and could live without disruption.

 

[alex57601]

Before NX decided to rebrand, people didn't consider it "suspect" that they didn't put "National Express" in their TOC names.

The National Express Group logo was always somewhere to be seen within timetables though, so passengers could therefore see who was running it. Arriva, on the other hand, is mentioned nowhere on CrossCountry literature. Whether it's a new policy for new franchises or they're too ashamed to put their name to a franchise which would be/is a shambles (or to other screwups on other franchises) I'll never know.

But if it's the latter, then Crow is being typical by hitting them where it hurts the most as well as giving Arriva questionable publicity it may have hoped to avoid by not putting their brand name on CrossCountry in the first place.

 

[TDK]

Bob Crow means business by calling them "Arriva Cross Country" they really seem to hate being called that!

I wonder why they hate being called ARRIVAhock: maybe it is because ATW at the time of the franchise being taken over had a real bad reputation or maybe ATW staff would want some sort of parity. Either way XC is not being run as efficiantly as VT ran it by far, maybe a mistake giving Arriva it if the outset.

 

[charley_17/7]

XC was branded 'neutrally' of Arriva, so that if it all went wrong, no dirt would stick to the main brand.

Perhaps they reckoned they would need it sooner, rather than later, given upset colleagues, slow(er than predicted) revenue growth, etc.

Just to reaffirm, if XC is resourced properly, and had kept ISS cleaners, the pax would notice not much or nothing at all.

But I don't think that will happen, do you?

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Mr Crow realises
the ressesion is over,

It is? news to millions, that.

Nah, Crow might be right.

But the recession is FAR from over!
And the financing of public/private enterprise may never be the same again

 

[mumrar]

The drivers union ASLEF sat down and negotiated a fat pay deal BEFORE the credit crunch hit. XC have consistently been obstructive or down right ignorant of polite negotiating practices with RMT. I'm only 'inside' on the Senior Conductor side, but they're trying to constantly impose things they have no rights to. Suddenly trying to ban union badges, part of our T&C from Central, rosters have been creative some times too. When XC were in dispute with RMT over one thing, they refused to discuss ANYTHING, basically claiming to be in dispute with the union as a whole. We'll see how this unfolds, some overtime merchant's I can't see giving it all up.

 

[Bayum]

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Leeds-trains-facing-disruption.5502188.jp

Just seen that in the Yorkshire Evening Post right about now =/

 

[HSTfan!!!]

AXC is very different from ATW operationally. Not only is XC a much longer distance operator than ATW whereas ATW operates alot more local routes especially on the valleys. (ATW's longest routes are probably Cardiff - Holyhead and Milford-Manchester?). There are things such as on XC if your train is cancelled or you miss a connection taxi's will not be provided if there is an alternative train within 2hours, at ATW that is 1 hour. Even the recruitment methods employed by AXC are completely different to those at ATW.
I was told myself that the reason for not wanting to brand XC Arriva CrossCountry was so staff at ATW couldn't whinge over the pay differences between the two companies, how true that is I don't know but I don't see how it would have mattered.

I wonder why they hate being called ARRIVAhock: maybe it is because ATW at the time of the franchise being taken over had a real bad reputation or maybe ATW staff would want some sort of parity. Either way XC is not being run as efficiantly as VT ran it by far, maybe a mistake giving Arriva it if the outset.

Thing is I still argue to this day (ignoring the fact I work for ATW) that they have completely turned the franchise around from when it was Wales & Borders. PPM figures and reliability are much improved, believe it or not customer satisfaction is on the up and staff moral is reasonably good.

 

[HH]

The problem with Cross Country is that Arriva bid way over the odds, even recognising that was before people realised that we were in a recession.

None of the other bidders could believe it when the DfT told them what Arriva had bid. They must be desperate to save every last brass farthing, especially if they agreed a good deal with the drivers, who frankly were already on a stonking earner for what always has been a money losing service.