TfW Cancellations due to "Shortage of Train Crew" not "Resource Availability"

[Falcon1200]

However they're not obliged to work a rostered Sunday if it falls before or after a block week of annual leave

That's an interesting agreement (and one likely to cause staffing difficulties); In my railway career the Sunday before Annual Leave did not have to be worked, but the one after did, as the working week was regarded as starting on Sunday. I saved a new colleague from being AWOL once as they had not realised they had to start back after their holiday on the Sunday nightshift, not Monday !

 

[Caaardiff]

I’ll ask you again, would you be willing to start working your days off and change your contractual terms for no payment? Have you ever done railway shifts?

Isn't that the whole issue. Most of the RDW isn't rostered and is being relied upon train crew wanting to work extra.

The rostered rest day working can still run alongside the new contracts but less reliance on it, so a lot more of covering everything. Train crew get their Sundays off that some of the time they don't want anyway. So how is anyone losing out?
There's a lot of train crew that like having the overtime but there's also plenty that don't. Old contracts are protected and have better work life balance and less pressure to take the overtime.

Ultimately there's no change of contract. So where is the issue?

 

[Dai Corner]

There's a lot of train crew that like having the overtime

That's an issue if the overtime available to them is reduced.

 

[craigybagel]

That's an interesting agreement (and one likely to cause staffing difficulties); In my railway career the Sunday before Annual Leave did not have to be worked, but the one after did, as the working week was regarded as starting on Sunday. I saved a new colleague from being AWOL once as they had not realised they had to start back after their holiday on the Sunday nightshift, not Monday !

You raise an interesting point - if you think about it logically, the Sunday after annual leave should indeed not be exempt. But for whatever reason that is what was agreed to when committed Sundays were brought in (as part of a negotiated settlement on both sides, I hasten to add) a few years ago

Isn't that the whole issue. Most of the RDW isn't rostered and is being relied upon train crew wanting to work extra.

The rostered rest day working can still run alongside the new contracts but less reliance on it, so a lot more of covering everything. Train crew get their Sundays off that some of the time they don't want anyway. So how is anyone losing out?
There's a lot of train crew that like having the overtime but there's also plenty that don't. Old contracts are protected and have better work life balance and less pressure to take the overtime.

Ultimately there's no change of contract. So where is the issue?

As I've pointed out already - splitting train crew in two and forcing different contracts on the new starters is going to cause way more disruption then we have now. You'll make the current problem worse, not better.

 

[ComUtoR]

Isn't that the whole issue. Most of the RDW isn't rostered and is being relied upon train crew wanting to work extra.

The rostered rest day working can still run alongside the new contracts but less reliance on it, so a lot more of covering everything.

Which still solves nothing. You are still at the mercy of someone deciding to work their Sunday. It just bumps the issue further down the road. Effectively worthless.

Train crew get their Sundays off that some of the time they don't want anyway. So how is anyone losing out?

Because "forcing" people to work is part of the reason it's all going wrong.

Utimately there's no change of contract. So where is the issue?

Because nothing got resolved. You also create further rostering issues because those new entrants will need rest days on weekdays. So you just flip the problem on its head.

 

[43066]

Isn't that the whole issue. Most of the RDW isn't rostered and is being relied upon train crew wanting to work extra.

It isn’t rostered by definition. You make yourself available and if the company need you they will allocate you something. You can’t rely on it, just as the company can’t rely on you making yourself available.

The rostered rest day working can still run alongside the new contracts but less reliance on it, so a lot more of covering everything. Train crew get their Sundays off that some of the time they don't want anyway. So how is anyone losing out?
There's a lot of train crew that like having the overtime but there's also plenty that don't. Old contracts are protected and have better work life balance and less pressure to take the overtime.

Earlier you seemed to be suggesting that contracts be unilaterally amended with no recompense.

Ultimately there's no change of contract. So where is the issue?

The issue is the TOC won’t want to increase the establishment to permit less reliance on RDW on Sundays or any other day.

I’m still not clear why you blame the unions for this?