Cross Country Service Reductions and Alterations, 28-11-2021 onwards

[Freemo]

As an example of the current passenger experience at the minute, my leisure trip to London from Sheffield and back next weekend now probably looks like:

Train Sheffield to London cancelled due to strike
Tube strikes Friday and Saturday night
Booked return via Tamworth as engineering means no through service on MML and reduced service with hour diversion on ECML
1st class HST now a 4 car Voyager where 1st could be declassified and God knows we might get left on the platform

I have been thoroughly committed to making long distance trips via train wherever possible. Barring a miracle mitigating all the above I now have no intention of doing so again for the foreseeable future. Being stuck in road traffic gives me a guarantee of a seat and takes the pandemic out of the equation.

 

[Peterthegreat]

I appreciate your points being made but what concerns me are comments from drivers stating that refuse to be flexible by moving shifts etc. That's part of the job you are expected to do. Deal with it, the rest if us have to.


Are drivers who work rest days then offered an extra day off the next week or are they literally expected to work 7 days a week 31 days a month?

They are certainly not offered a day of the following week. The amount of time they are allowed to work is covered by quasi-legal requirements which dictate they must have days off. This follows the Clapham accident when some staff were found to be working excessive hours. However if you want drivers to work 84 hours every week.........

 

[vdriud]

As an example of the current passenger experience at the minute, my leisure trip to London from Sheffield and back next weekend now probably looks like:

Train Sheffield to London cancelled due to strike
Tube strikes Friday and Saturday night
Booked return via Tamworth as engineering means no through service on MML and reduced service with hour diversion on ECML
1st class HST now a 4 car Voyager where 1st could be declassified and God knows we might get left on the platform

I have been thoroughly committed to making long distance trips via train wherever possible. Barring a miracle mitigating all the above I now have no intention of doing so again for the foreseeable future. Being stuck in road traffic gives me a guarantee of a seat and takes the pandemic out of the equation.

Unfortunately the passenger is of no important to ASLEF or its members. The public won't forget this in a hurry.

I have a meeting with my tory MP next week to discuss this matter further.

How far away are we from AI and automated trains .... the more incidents like this the more accepting the public will be to AI. The unions need to remember this.

They are certainly not offered a day of the following week. The amount of time they are allowed to work is covered by quasi-legal requirements which dictate they must have days off. This follows the Clapham accident when some staff were found to be working excessive hours. However if you want drivers to work 84 hours every week.........

In the bus/HGV industry there are clearly published drivers hours and rest periods that must occur. Are there not similar requirements on the railway? I would expect drivers to only work within the legal framework. 84 hrs is excessive! I would have thought a limit of 45 hrs a week with at least one day off a week would be legally required?

 

[NEDdrv]

People on here have a great way of shifting the blame on to the staff/unions. Many say we need to modernise but as a driver of 38 years we have done nothing but, with changes to manning of cabs and working hours etc. The rest day agreement is signed by both the company and ASLEF and has been in place for years with very little disruption to the service. So many staff will work their days off and nobody notices but after the company repeatedly breaks that agreement and ASLEF says enough is enough and does not renew it the staff are to blame.

 

[vdriud]

People on here have a great way of shifting the blame on to the staff/unions. Many say we need to modernise but as a driver of 38 years we have done nothing but, with changes to manning of cabs and working hours etc. The rest day agreement is signed by both the company and ASLEF and has been in place for years with very little disruption to the service. So many staff will work their days off and nobody notices but after the company repeatedly breaks that agreement and ASLEF says enough is enough and does not renew it the staff are to blame.

People on here like me who don't drive for medical reasons have no choice than to use the railway. We rely on it. We are already suffering a 50% reduction in services from covid. Your actios have literally ruined our lives and stopped us seeing parents, daughters and being able to work. And you want to moan at us who pay your high salaries though shockingly high fares while putting up with your 1970s attitudes. We have had enough I'm afraid. The public don't support this action and never will.
why cannot ASLEF work with XC and phase out rest day working through a planned approach.

Sorry to be so bombastic but I am absolutely sick of the impact of XC on my life. I'm not the only one.

How can there be no drivers when 50% of services between Bristol and Birmingham are not running? It's bonkers! What's happened to all these drivers?

 

[D6130]

Due to train crew availability,

Should that not read "Due to train crew unavailability"?

 

[vdriud]

ASLEF says enough is enough and does not renew it the staff are to blame.

So are you saying ASLEF has done this unilaterally with no ballet? If so how is that even lawful?

 

[NEDdrv]

People on here like me who don't drive for medical reasons have no choice than to use the railway. We rely on it. We are already suffering a 50% reduction in services from covid. Your actios have literally ruined our lives and stopped us seeing parents, daughters and being able to work. And you want to moan at us who pay your high salaries though shockingly high fares while putting up with your 1970s attitudes. We have had enough I'm afraid. The public don't support this action and never will.
why cannot ASLEF work with XC and phase out rest day working through a planned approach.

Sorry to be so bombastic but I am absolutely sick of the impact of XC on my life. I'm not the only one.

Actions, what actions, we as drivers are working our contracted hours. Also if I am on a 5 hour diagram And my train is late I am obliged by my terms and conditions of work to wait for it up to our maximum shift length of 10 hours so even if I have something planned, then that has to be missed or postponed. By the way I don’t have a 70’s attitude. Maybe you would like the union’s banned for trying to protect their members, go to a one party state and just do as your told.

 

[vdriud]

Actions, what actions, we as drivers are working our contracted hours. Also if I am on a 5 hour diagram And my train is late I am obliged by my terms and conditions of work to wait for it up to our maximum shift length of 10 hours so even if I have something planned, then that has to be missed or postponed. By the way I don’t have a 70’s attitude. Maybe you would like the union’s banned for trying to protect their members, go to a one party state and just do as your told.

Good to see you have ignored the disruption and impact on the people you serve. That is exactly the 1970s attitude that needs to change.

If drivers have refused to resign an existing agreement then is this not your doing?

Please correct me if I wrong?

 

[NEDdrv]

So are you saying ASLEF has done this unilaterally with no ballet? If so how is that even lawful?

No, it’s an agreement that is not being renewed, IT IS NOT INDUSTRIAL ACTION, and you forgot to mention that THE COMPANY HAVE BROKEN THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT MANY TIMES

 

[vdriud]

No, it’s an agreement that is not being renewed, IT IS NOT INDUSTRIAL ACTION, and you forgot to mention that THE COMPANY HAVE BROKEN THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT MANY TIMES

So it's all down to ASLEF and the drivers wanting to change the status quo and causing this unbelievable situation?

So your union does not allow you to vote on an agreement that affects you? Very democratic of them. Funny how other unions such as the GMB don't seem to operate like ASLEF.

Where are all the drivers from the hourly Bristol to Birmingham services that have not run for months?

How have XC broken the agreement?

 

[NEDdrv]

Good to see you have ignored the disruption and impact on the people you serve. That is exactly the 1970s attitude that needs to change.

If drivers have refused to resign an existing agreement then is this not your doing?

Please correct me if I wrong?

What’s the point of having an agreement if the company does not abide by it, should ASLEF just sign it and let the company break it when it wants. If yes, will that mean on the Sundays that I am booked to work which are not part of my contract I can just not turn up.

 

[vdriud]

What’s the point of having an agreement if the company does not abide by it, should ASLEF just sign it and let the company break it when it wants. If yes, will that mean on the Sundays that I am booked to work which are not part of my contract I can just not turn up.

How did XC breach the contract? I have heard this said over and over with no facts or evidence presented.

You do realise not turning up means I don't get to see my 5 year old daughter and means I don't get to work? If I am lucky enough for a train to run I am rammed into a smelly voyager, standing room only, with a disability, which can cause me massive issues. That's the reality mate. I have T1 diabetes and was once rammed into a voyager vestibule and had a hypo. I could not get to my bag for glucose as nobody could move the train was so full and i collapsed. Again you don't care about that do you? It's all about making the tories look bad for the union, at any cost.

I for one am not going to put up with this anymore. Cutting services by 50% was bad but this is another level. You cannot defend the current cancellations when you are already not running half the services. Where are all the drivers?

I'm afraid you have lost public sympathy and support. Be careful for what you wish for with AI around the corner we may not need drivers soon. Such action only encourages the govt to pursue this new technology.

 

[Peterthegreat]

So it's all down to ASLEF and the drivers wanting to change the status quo and causing this unbelievable situation?

So your union does not allow you to vote on an agreement that affects you? Very democratic of them. Funny how other unions such as the GMB don't seem to operate like ASLEF.

Where are all the drivers from the hourly Bristol to Birmingham services that have not run for months?

How have XC broken the agreement?

So despite XC breaking all agreements you still choose to blame the unions. I think you should direct your anger towards XC management/DfT/Treasury who have allowed this to build up. There should not be a need to work so many rest days.

 

[irish_rail]

But surely a 4 car train is better than a potential 0 car train (ie train cancelled) if they can’t provide with any surety an HST driver in the Birmingham area?

I don’t think anyone will agree these changes are ideal but they are making the best of a bad situation.

A 4 car train to somebody physically unable to board it isn't any better than no train at all, no.

I get paid less than a train driver but if I have to deliver a project and work late/weekends (unpaid) i do what I have to do to get it over the line.

The amount drivers are paid I would expect you to be highly flexible and go the extra mile at all times.

You guys need to get in the real world!

Thing is , train drivers go above and beyond every single shift of our careers. Often , I will be forced to work overtime every single day of a week because my trains are running late. I could refuse to take the train, and just bail, but I don't. I go over my day in order to get the train to its location.
Expecting me to lose all family time and work every hour God sends just isn't reasonable.

How did XC breach the contract? I have heard this said over and over with no facts or evidence presented.

You do realise not turning up means I don't get to see my 5 year old daughter and means I don't get to work? If I am lucky enough for a train to run I am rammed into a smelly voyager, standing room only, with a disability, which can cause me massive issues. That's the reality mate. I have T1 diabetes and was once rammed into a voyager vestibule and had a hypo. I could not get to my bag for glucose as nobody could move the train was so full and i collapsed. Again you don't care about that do you? It's all about making the tories look bad for the union, at any cost.

I for one am not going to put up with this anymore. Cutting services by 50% was bad but this is another level. You cannot defend the current cancellations when you are already not running half the services. Where are all the drivers?

I'm afraid you have lost public sympathy and support. Be careful for what you wish for with AI around the corner we may not need drivers soon. Such action only encourages the govt to pursue this new technology.

How many times do people need to be told AI isn't going to be a thing on the mainline, certainly not in my lifetime. So stop clinging onto something that ain't gonna happen outside of some Metros.
Plenty of other people don't drive and they are forced to make do with trains or buses , but they manage not to bleat about it quite so much about how hard done by they are.

 

[NEDdrv]

How did XC breach the contract? I have heard this said over and over with no facts or evidence presented.

You do realise not turning up means I don't get to see my 5 year old daughter and means I don't get to work? If I am lucky enough for a train to run I am rammed into a smelly voyager, standing room only, with a disability, which can cause me massive issues. That's the reality mate. I have T1 diabetes and was once rammed into a voyager vestibule and had a hypo. I could not get to my bag for glucose as nobody could move the train was so full and i collapsed. Again you don't care about that do you? It's all about making the tories look bad for the union, at any cost.

I for one am not going to put up with this anymore. Cutting services by 50% was bad but this is another level. You cannot defend the current cancellations when you are already not running half the services. Where are all the drivers?

I'm afraid you have lost public sympathy and support. Be careful for what you wish for with AI around the corner we may not need drivers soon. Such action only encourages the govt to pursue this new technology.

You still don’t get it, we are turning up, we are working our rostered shifts, the drivers who are booked to work today will have turned up. It is NOT the workforce who have cut the service. No it is not ideal that trains will run short formed but again this is not our fault, XC has not had an investment in stock (intern city type) since about 2008. Our passenger numbers grew before COVID with many trains full but still no new stock. We as staff see it every Saturday night, Sundays and now through the week during the day. Counter to what you say/think I/we do care about our passengers, my most important job is to get from A to B safely and hopefully on time.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

A 4 car train to somebody physically unable to board it isn't any better than no train at all, no.

Maybe during these current circumstances mandatory reservations would be a good thing as they would avoid that situation.

 

[vdriud]

A 4 car train to somebody physically unable to board it isn't any better than no train at all, no.


Thing is , train drivers go above and beyond every single shift of our careers. Often , I will be forced to work overtime every single day of a week because my trains are running late. I could refuse to take the train, and just bail, but I don't. I go over my day in order to get the train to its location.
Expecting me to lose all family time and work every hour God sends just isn't reasonable.

Fair play to you for going the extra mile. As a passenger this is very much appreciated

The thing is from my perspective we have an agreement for RDW. The union have decided to not extend this. So the reality is that ASLEF/members have decided to change the status quo not the dft or XC.

If an agreement was in place and the outcome of not extending it is complete weekend service meltdown then the union and drivers are at fault surely?

I still don't get where all the drivers have gone with 50% service reductions already on my route? It makes no sense does it?!

Do drivers work more than HGV drivers or nurses who are on a lot less than you? During covid nurses have been working 7 days a week for some weeks on end for a lot less pay than rail drivers.

As long as its safe and within the law I have no issues with drivers being expected to work some rest days, not all though. I agree there.

You still don’t get it, we are turning up, we are working our rostered shifts, the drivers who are booked to work today will have turned up. It is NOT the workforce who have cut the service. No it is not ideal that trains will run short formed but again this is not our fault, XC has not had an investment in stock (intern city type) since about 2008. Our passenger numbers grew before COVID with many trains full but still no new stock. We as staff see it every Saturday night, Sundays and now through the week during the day. Counter to what you say/think I/we do care about our passengers, my most important job is to get from A to B safely and hopefully on time.

Thanks for the additional background. You are right I don't get it. With 50٪ service cuts already where did all the drivers go?

Are you telling me that XC expect you to work 7 days a week for months on end without a day off at all? If so, I agree that is wholly unacceptable.

A 4 car train to somebody physically unable to board it isn't any better than no train at all, no.


Thing is , train drivers go above and beyond every single shift of our careers. Often , I will be forced to work overtime every single day of a week because my trains are running late. I could refuse to take the train, and just bail, but I don't. I go over my day in order to get the train to its location.
Expecting me to lose all family time and work every hour God sends just isn't reasonable.


How many times do people need to be told AI isn't going to be a thing on the mainline, certainly not in my lifetime. So stop clinging onto something that ain't gonna happen outside of some Metros.
Plenty of other people don't drive and they are forced to make do with trains or buses , but they manage not to bleat about it quite so much about how hard done by they

AI is coming

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Your last comment is pretty pathetic and sums up your contempt for the people who pay your salary.

 

[NEDdrv]

Fair play to you for going the extra mile. As a passenger this is very much appreciated

The thing is from my perspective we have an agreement for RDW. The union have decided to not extend this. So the reality is that ASLEF/members have decided to change the status quo not the dft or XC.

If an agreement was in place and the outcome of not extending it is complete weekend service meltdown then the union and drivers are at fault surely?

I still don't get where all the drivers have gone with 50% service reductions already on my route? It makes no sense does it?!

Do drivers work more than HGV drivers or nurses who are on a lot less than you? During covid nurses have been working 7 days a week for some weeks on end for a lot less pay than rail drivers.

As long as its safe and within the law I have no issues with drivers being expected to work some rest days, not all though. I agree there.


Thanks for the additional background. You are right I don't get it. With 50٪ service cuts already where did all the drivers go?

Are you telling me that XC expect you to work 7 days a week for months on end without a day off at all? If so, I agree that is wholly unacceptable.


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Your last comment is pretty pathetic and sums up your contempt for the people who pay your salary.

Some of our diagrams have been reduced in length due to COVID, mess room capacity at various locations, so a 50% reduction in train service does not equate to 50% less drivers. No XC does not expect me to work 7 days a week but does expect me to work my booked days and Sundays I am rostered for. Yes I totally agree about the NHS staff and they should be paid more. I am glad that YOU have no issues with us being forced to work a day off, what about work life balance or are we not entitled to that. If I am on a job that means getting up at 3am Mon and Tues but then a rest day you would be ok being told I had to work the same turn Wednesday or even worse Thursday. You seem hell bent on blaming us for the problems even though as I have said the company has broken the agreement many times. The agreement always has an end date which was end of October but ASLEF agreed an extension to find a robust way for the agreement to be adhered to but as this has not happened it has ended. I am sure talks will be ongoing, no doubt you will come back saying it’s all our fault.

 

[vdriud]

Some of our diagrams have been reduced in length due to COVID, mess room capacity at various locations, so a 50% reduction in train service does not equate to 50% less drivers. No XC does not expect me to work 7 days a week but does expect me to work my booked days and Sundays I am rostered for. Yes I totally agree about the NHS staff and they should be paid more. I am glad that YOU have no issues with us being forced to work a day off, what about work life balance or are we not entitled to that. If I am on a job that means getting up at 3am Mon and Tues but then a rest day you would be ok being told I had to work the same turn Wednesday or even worse Thursday. You seem hell bent on blaming us for the problems even though as I have said the company has broken the agreement many times. The agreement always has an end date which was end of October but ASLEF agreed an extension to find a robust way for the agreement to be adhered to but as this has not happened it has ended. I am sure talks will be ongoing, no doubt you will come back saying it’s all our fault.

Thanks for the additional background. I am glad talks are ongoing. Let's hope there is an early resolution.

How many Sundays in a month are you expected to work? 1 in 4, 2 in 4 etc?

How many days a month would you be expected to work?

I agree that your early starts etc must make it hard on the body and having adequate rest is important.

 

[DanNCL]

If I’m honest from what I can see none of the parties involved here are in the right. ASLEF need to ballot their membership first and foremost before implementing what is in practice an overtime ban (as that’s effectively what this equates to, even if it’s not called that on paper). Arriva need to be making much more of an effort to get enough staff on the books to be able to operate their full service, and in the case of the HST diagrams with crews that sign the traction so that short forms aren’t needed. The DFT needs to stop applying pressure to make cuts (although having a level of understanding about the way the DFT and other government departments are working at present, they don’t have anywhere near as much control over XC as some posters like to make out), and the staff also need to be prepared to try and find some sort of compromise - at the end of the day if you’re not happy with your employer and you aren’t prepared to compromise then leave, nobody is forcing you to stay.

It’s not all staff, far from it, but there is a sizeable and vocal minority who seem to think they’re entitled to be paid in excess of £50k a year for sitting in the cab for 30 hours a week with little additional responsibility beyond literally driving the train. Bus drivers and lorry drivers often have to do more work than train drivers (both jobs and hours wise) , in arguably worse conditions, for often less than half the pay, I think some (and again I emphasise that it is only some) train drivers, as well as their unions, need to be grateful for what they’ve got when people who do a lot more than them get paid less than half the salary without complaining.

 

[irish_rail]

Fair play to you for going the extra mile. As a passenger this is very much appreciated

The thing is from my perspective we have an agreement for RDW. The union have decided to not extend this. So the reality is that ASLEF/members have decided to change the status quo not the dft or XC.

If an agreement was in place and the outcome of not extending it is complete weekend service meltdown then the union and drivers are at fault surely?

I still don't get where all the drivers have gone with 50% service reductions already on my route? It makes no sense does it?!

Do drivers work more than HGV drivers or nurses who are on a lot less than you? During covid nurses have been working 7 days a week for some weeks on end for a lot less pay than rail drivers.

As long as its safe and within the law I have no issues with drivers being expected to work some rest days, not all though. I agree there.


Thanks for the additional background. You are right I don't get it. With 50٪ service cuts already where did all the drivers go?

Are you telling me that XC expect you to work 7 days a week for months on end without a day off at all? If so, I agree that is wholly unacceptable.


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Your last comment is pretty pathetic and sums up your contempt for the people who pay your salary.

I most certainly don't have contempt for rail passengers. Far from it. Most of the time I'm on here arguing to try and make things better for the people who use the service I work (GWR intercity), advocating longer trains. What XC are doing is shocking. We agree on this. But blaming train drivers is totally the wrong thing to do.
Further up thread I pointed out that a GWR HST driver was forced to stop driving them when moving to XC and waste 12 months re learning all the routes he was driving anyway the previous week.
This is a management and training issue within XC and drivers are most definitely not to blame.

 

[vdriud]

I most certainly don't have contempt for rail passengers. Far from it. Most of the time I'm on here arguing to try and make things better for the people who use the service I work (GWR intercity), advocating longer trains. What XC are doing is shocking. We agree on this. But blaming train drivers is totally the wrong thing to do.
Further up thread I pointed out that a GWR HST driver was forced to stop driving them when moving to XC and waste 12 months re learning all the routes he was driving anyway the previous week.
This is a management and training issue within XC and drivers are most definitely not to blame.

I saw your comment earlier up thread and I agree totally with your comments.

Let's hope something gets sorted soon as the cuts and withdrawing the HSTs are untenable for passengers.

As a regular user of GWR and XC my experience is that GWR is a much better operator, although they do enjoy cancelled Swindon to Cheltenham services at weekends at lot!

Also, GWR fares are much better than XC. IETs could be better but I rate them more than Voyagers!

 

[dk1]

People on here have a great way of shifting the blame on to the staff/unions. Many say we need to modernise but as a driver of 38 years we have done nothing but, with changes to manning of cabs and working hours etc. The rest day agreement is signed by both the company and ASLEF and has been in place for years with very little disruption to the service. So many staff will work their days off and nobody notices but after the company repeatedly breaks that agreement and ASLEF says enough is enough and does not renew it the staff are to blame.

It’s getting quite amusing hearing the response of some posters on here. Some seem to think every worker should be down trodden just because they are. It’s almost as if we should volunteer to work out of love for the job. I will stick with my long fought for conditions of employment offering me a decent work/life balance thanks.

 

[AntoniC]

It’s getting quite amusing hearing the response of some posters on here. Some seem to think every worker should be down trodden just because they are. It’s almost as if we should volunteer to work out of love for the job. I will stick with my long fought for conditions of employment offering me a decent work/life balance thanks.

Its a race to the bottom that some posters want to see happen.
They aren`t bothered about Terms & Conditions being broken by either side as long as they can catch their train and it is to their convenience.
This is why Trade Unions exist (and I have been a TU member since I started working back in 1988).
Unions exist to represent their members and to support/defend their members.
This year my Union (PCS) recommended that we vote to accept reforms to our T&C`s that resulted in a substantial payrise to me - the offer meant I had to accept some negative changes to my T&C but overall I was a winner so I voted to accept it (and so did the majority).
I am actually affected by this as I was *supposed* to be on the 11.57 train from New Street to Manchester Piccadilly on 04/12 - I now am delayed by an hour so I get a free trip home because of the delay.

 

[dk1]

Its a race to the bottom that some posters want to see happen.
They aren`t bothered about Terms & Conditions being broken by either side as long as they can catch their train and it is to their convenience.
This is why Trade Unions exist (and I have been a TU member since I started working back in 1988).
Unions exist to represent their members and to support/defend their members.
This year my Union (PCS) recommended that we vote to accept reforms to our T&C`s that resulted in a substantial payrise to me - the offer meant I had to accept some negative changes to my T&C but overall I was a winner so I voted to accept it (and so did the majority).
I am actually affected by this as I was *supposed* to be on the 11.57 train from New Street to Manchester Piccadilly on 04/12 - I now am delayed by an hour so I get a free trip home because of the delay.

Every cloud & all that.

 

[Falcon1200]

I appreciate your points being made but what concerns me are comments from drivers stating that refuse to be flexible by moving shifts etc. That's part of the job you are expected to do. Deal with it, the rest if us have to.

There is a very great difference between occasionally being asked to work additional hours in unforeseen circumstances to keep the service going, which as mentioned by others many railway staff already do, and being expected to sacrifice time off week in, week out, because the employer will not or cannot employ enough staff to run their base service.

Are drivers who work rest days then offered an extra day off the next week

No - It is free time lost for ever.

 

[Bald Rick]

Let’s try and keep this civil.

The agreement expired this week, having already been extended by around a month. What isn’t clear:

1) was there a proposal by either XC or ASLEF to roll over the agreement on existing terms?, or,

2) did XC or ASLEF propose a different set of terms to agree to RDW, and if so what were they?


Personally, I find it odd that there needs to be an agreement between company and staff that enables individual staff to work extra shifts. I think most people who do rostered work in other industries will think similarly; there was certainly no need for an agreement in the other three industries I have worked in where I worked a roster. If you wanted to do extra shifts, you let the managers know and they called you in when required. But that’s my view.

 

[dk1]

Personally, I find it odd that there needs to be an agreement between company and staff that enables individual staff to work extra shifts. I think most people who do rostered work in other industries will think similarly; there was certainly no need for an agreement in the other three industries I have worked in where I worked a roster. If you wanted to do extra shifts, you let the managers know and they called you in when required. But that’s my view.

Because it’s an effective way to bargain short of balloting for industrial action & keeps unity. It also can include counter agreements such as leave. For example at my depot the first 4 drivers to ask for a days leave are guaranteed to get them granted regardless of whether or not the roster clerk can cover their turn. This privilege is withdrawn as soon as the RDW agreement no longer stands.

 

[vdriud]

It’s getting quite amusing hearing the response of some posters on here. Some seem to think every worker should be down trodden just because they are. It’s almost as if we should volunteer to work out of love for the job. I will stick with my long fought for conditions of employment offering me a decent work/life balance thanks.

The only thing about my employment that is frustrating is the lack of train or a seat to sit on to get me there. My terms of employment are fantastic thanks. And because of that when there is a crisis I am more than happy to go the extra mile.

What about passengers work life balance? The customers who pay your high salaries?