Wyrleybart
Established Member
Why is SWR the only TOC with these volunteers?
It isn't.
There is at least one open access TOC which uses unpaid Ambassadors at weekends. Their "renumeration" is free travel with the company.
Why is SWR the only TOC with these volunteers?
Most importantly, though, as @Bald Rick and others have said already, these are far from normal times, and demand that we all - the RMT included - do our bit. Under normal circumstances, they might have a point - might, I would still disagree - but right now, if a referrendum were held to ban unions, the actions of the RMT would make me think twice before voting against it.
Seems sensible but there is no way that the union would allow any 'surplus' railway office staff to undertake another role.As I understand it, the volunteers (if it goes ahead) will be assisting in managing social distancing queues OUTSIDE busy stations, where capacity on trains and the station itself require it. They won't get anywhere near a train or anything remotely railway related. The whole idea came from Govt/ DfT and was effectively forced on TOCs who are now trying to make it work by doing what the Govt demand, while at the same time appeasing the Unions and alaying the concerns of the workforce.
For once, I'm sort of with the RMT on this- the real losers are the agency staff who are doing the job now.
Personally standing in the rain for 3 hours listening to a load of p****d off passengers telling you how s**t the railway is doesn''t appeal. A different kettle of fish to stewarding at the London Marathon or other big events where people actually want to be there! I suspect a lot will do a day or two then not bother when they realise it's a bum deal.
My money is on deploying 'surplus' railway staff first, augmenting with volunteers if required at busy stations.
Seems sensible but there is no way that the union would allow any 'surplus' railway office staff to undertake another role.
If HM Government were to invoke emergency powers to prevent strikes in the railway industry it would have popular support
The travelling public have had enough!
Volunteers will be asked to help police and enforce the mandatory wearing of face coverings on June 15. These are the same volunteers the @RMTunion expressed concern about on Monday.
We understand while they largely be on crowd control and won't pass the barriers. But still...
Following on from yesterday's tweet about possible @RMTunion strikes (which went in a weird way), @transportgovuk tells me: "We are clear these volunteers will not be performing any tasks or roles that vital frontline staff are trained to carry out." I'm still digging.
Could we see strikes soon? @RMTunion is threatening action over Government plans to 'introduce a workforce of unpaid and unskilled ‘Transport Guardian Angels’.'
.Seems sensible but there is no way that the union would allow any 'surplus' railway office staff to undertake another role.
You're not an idiot, so I presume you were taking the p*ss here?
I appreciate you're above having to worry about these things, but if you were a CSA or similar grade, would it not concern you that a TOC would be willing and able to flood stations with unpaid volunteers to do your job? Would you not expect your Union to have something to say about that? Given how vulnerable the station grades are to getting shafted, should the RMT just ignore the precedent being set here? What's the point in the Unions having agreements over training, rostering and manning when anything goes with unpaid labour? This is ignoring the more general issue around volunteers being used to paper over holes in core provision of other public services.
these are far from normal times, and demand that we all - the RMT included - do our bit.
used to volunteer - as I know at least one other person on here still does - for a very large youth organisation.
If you have any evidence to the contrary, I'd be interested to see it
Here's a controversial question, should we also ban volunteers from helping keeping stations clean/presentable?
I think this has little to do with First Group which is surviving on Government handoutsIt's this attitude that makes me despair.
Commercial profit-making company needs some extra staff. It can pay for these staff but, no, we should "do our bit" and work for free. And those who are seeing large chunks of their job being done for free shouldn't worry about their job security, the DfT have made a vague promise.
It's the same attitude that saw student nurses give up their jobs to work for the NHS early, only to be told "thanks but no thanks" now the peak has passed.
As I said upstream, I work for a charity which relies on volunteers who are, to a person, excellent. We rely on volunteers to this extent because "austerity" cut our funding in half; now our use of volunteers is used to justify not increasing our funding.
But all this misses the point- FirstGroup is not a charity.
The RMT are not in the real world - my opinion
But all this misses the point- FirstGroup is not a charity.
Indeed, and having volunteers alongside paid staff is a sure fire way to cause resentment. Special constables and the Territorial Army spring to mind.
Genuine question - what would your view be if/when Northern or LNER propose the same?
I can think of numerous occasions where "spare" staff have undertaken other roles, with their Unions blessing.Seems sensible but there is no way that the union would allow any 'surplus' railway office staff to undertake another role.
If HM Government were to invoke emergency powers to prevent strikes in the railway industry it would have popular support
The travelling public have had enough!
Seems to me TOC (effectively DfT) suggests something sensible. RMT issues routine inflammatory press release. Not much happens. Not just the new normal but the old one.Genuine question - what would your view be if/when Northern or LNER propose the same?
Brother Cash and his Headcases.
"RMT'S executive will be considering a detailed response to the plans which are another sign of the kind of carnage that is being lined up for the engineering and transport sectors off the back of this pandemic."
As an example the reduction of staff at Wabtec gets the following response:-
"RMT'S executive will be considering a detailed response to the plans which are another sign of the kind of carnage that is being lined up for the engineering and transport sectors off the back of this pandemic."
Are they in a cocoon. The situation is dire in many areas not just the railways. They are not in the real world if they think that the Transport Sectors should not be affected and be exempt from any changes.
I can think of numerous occasions where "spare" staff have undertaken other roles, with their Unions blessing.
before the lower paid end of the railway spectrum see their jobs done by volunteers and worry about their futures?
It's not like these volunteers are going to be dispatching or driving trains.
Has any TOC furloughed any staff during the pandemic?If SWR have furloughed any of their staff and these can be redeployed to where the volunteers will be allocated, then I do not agree with SWR's actions.
why are the RMT saying they should be paid
Has any TOC furloughed any staff during the pandemic?
Has any TOC furloughed any staff during the pandemic?
I understood the Government/DFT were covering all the revenue shortfalls until September? Effectively the DFT have taken control of all the TOC's....which then leads me to ask if the DFT are controlling the companies, are they within their rights to "impose" these unpaid volunteers for the period of their tenure. And why are the RMT saying they should be paid....why would SWR have to pay for them?
Certainly nothing other than normal expenditure is being allowed during the present months, anything else is having to be "okayed" by the DFT.
Nobody in favour of volunteers seems to be able to answer this simple question: if the job needs doing, why shouldn't people be paid to do it?
Ok so looking at the past few points it sort of confirms my thinking, that no UK TOC has furloughed any of its staff. The likes of GC and Eurostar are outside of the normal arrangements and are presumably not receiving the support from the DFT either.
@Tetchytyke .... who has decided that the "job needs doing"? Is it SWR or is it the DFT? I'm unclear on this. Its about more than the fact they are unpaid....no contracts of employment? No union support? No pensions?
Also....if they are "unpaid volunteers".....how are they being "funded" by the DFT? As per my previous post, SWR would not be allowed to recruit 185 staff on contracts and onto the payroll of the company under the present agreements that the DFT have with Operating Companies.