I just thought it might be that the company says you can't have a pay rise which is fair enough due to the economy etc and ASLEF might say we accept that if we keep stay at home spare?
Maybe wishful thinking on me and our reps part then, as it is obviously a problematic concept.
I've just realised the last few months that stay at home spare has value. As much value as a pay rise potentially.
I'd suggest it has some limitations. While you can do your own thing to an extent, you are technically 'at work' and bound by all rules that come with that and obviously have to ready to get to work at moment's notice.
Especially during disruption, AO and Cover crew in a messroom are deployed at a moment's notice to do a shunt, cover a late PNB etc and there's often very little or no advance warning. The first a DRM might know about it is a call from control demanding to know why there is no crew on a service.
Having said that, a optimal daily attendance sheet would never have anyone left AO and any last minute unplanned non attendance such as late sickness would be covered by the cover crew.
If and when a full or fuller timetable returns there will be a lot less AO as there is a ever increasing training backlog for both productive and trainee drivers.
What could possibly work is a well planned base roster is certain spare turns being marked up as stay at home, so that if there is a surplus of AO, say due to engineering work, then some could stay at home while a small number are brought in on site.
I believe some airlines do run a dual system, where some crew are sitting on site while others have to report within a fixed period, maybe 2 hours. However, there is also a difference in operation of a airline and a railway, so not sure if it would translate successfully.
I think everyone would like it to stay, whether they'd be willing to forego pay rises or other changes to t&c is debatable.