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ScotRail Industrial Relations issues (including conductor strike action)

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wobman

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Doesn't even get mentioned in the last meeting of the Transport Scotland Rail franchise performance meeting held on 19 August 2021 minutes published on 3/9.

https://www.transport.gov.scot/publ...e-performance-meeting-minutes-19-august-2021/

If TS and the Scottish Govt are really committed to modal transfer from roads they need to have a vision for public transport and engage with the unions to get it delivered. This means agreeing a set of T&C's that deliver operations when they are needed, and that needs to include Sundays, and it means all the staff that are involved to deliver it be it driver, guards, depots staff, gateline and despatch staff etc. Perhaps a visible commitment from TS and the Transport ministers to address this long running issue may well then elicit at least a suspension of action.
This shows it's a political decision by both the SNP and abelio management
 
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Fat Pav

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Some positive news emerging that Scotrail has opened talks regarding pay deals as of yesterday. The ballot for 10 day continuous strike action during COP26 closed yesterday, very soon afterwards Mick Hogg Tweeted to say that talks had started.
 

Deltic1961

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Shouldn't take the threat of global embarrassment to start talks on a long term dispute.

Shows where the customers lie in all of this. Nowhere.
 

Carlisle

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What does that have to do with Sundays being part of the working week and employing more staff ?
It shows the complete lack of consistency in most of these reoccurring arguments., be private when it suits or expect politicians to directly fund pay demands or override bosses decisions when it doesn’t .
 
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wobman

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It shows a complete lack of consistency in most of these reoccurring arguments., be private when it suits or expect politicians to directly fund pay demands or override your bosses secessions when it doesn’t .
That makes no sense what you are saying, Sundays at ScotRail are outside the working week and covered by overtime. It may be committed overtime but it's still overtime, to run a robust and reliable Sunday service making it part of the working week is logical.

No matter who funds the changes if you want a public transport system fit for purpose, things need to change.
 

320320

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Some positive news emerging that Scotrail has opened talks regarding pay deals as of yesterday. The ballot for 10 day continuous strike action during COP26 closed yesterday, very soon afterwards Mick Hogg Tweeted to say that talks had started.

If the rumoured driver offer is accurate it’ll be a hard sell to the members.
 

snookertam

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Is that your answer to everything? Striking? Many people cannot afford to strike, are morally appalled at the consequences of doing so (eg health are staff) are afraid of losing their jobs if they do and/or still have to get the work done that they didn't do when they were on strike.

Get real.
It is certainly my answer to not getting a pay rise for years on end, yes. Otherwise you’re just meekly accepting that your living standards will constantly be reduced. At what point do you think workers should question this? When they have to get their wages topped up by universal credit, or when they have to go to food banks in the last week before pay day?

I can understand very well why people would be reticent to take strike action given how precarious people’s jobs can be, but that others feel less confident in such action seems to be your justification in question another group of workers who are confident and secure enough to do so. All that belief does is undermine one of the few highly unionised sections of the workforce from fighting back against cuts to their pay and conditions, which they have every right to do. Otherwise, as others have said, employers will simply run roughshod over them.
 

Starmill

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So what do you call no pay rises for years, as the quoted poster referred to?
You said "employers will simply run roughshod" over workers if they're not prepared to strike. So why is it that many workers receive pay rises despite there being no union recognition? Perhaps it's because they do a good job and are valued staff? Indeed no business guarantees to provide a pay rise. In general a pay rise is subject to a performance review to ensure that the worker is on course to be a good long term fit for the organisation. Many employers faced a choice between cutting pay and cutting jobs in a crisis, and in general it is the former that's preferred.
 

Robertj21a

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It is certainly my answer to not getting a pay rise for years on end, yes. Otherwise you’re just meekly accepting that your living standards will constantly be reduced. At what point do you think workers should question this? When they have to get their wages topped up by universal credit, or when they have to go to food banks in the last week before pay day?

I can understand very well why people would be reticent to take strike action given how precarious people’s jobs can be, but that others feel less confident in such action seems to be your justification in question another group of workers who are confident and secure enough to do so. All that belief does is undermine one of the few highly unionised sections of the workforce from fighting back against cuts to their pay and conditions, which they have every right to do. Otherwise, as others have said, employers will simply run roughshod over them.
Do you have real examples of employers running roughshod over their staff, or are you just ranting ?
Perhaps you're somebody who believes they should get everything they want, regardless of any justification?
 

baz962

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Do you have real examples of employers running roughshod over their staff, or are you just ranting ?
Perhaps you're somebody who believes they should get everything they want, regardless of any justification?
Some hgv companies are now putting up pay . Suggests that they could of afforded to and just didn't , because they chose not too.
 

tony6499

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If you don't ask you won't get, the more people in a collective action the more chance of success.
Some hgv companies are now putting up pay . Suggests that they could of afforded to and just didn't , because they chose not too.
 

Starmill

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Some hgv companies are now putting up pay . Suggests that they could of afforded to and just didn't , because they chose not too.
The haulage companies have of course significantly increased their rates. And it's not only staff costs that are rising. Which means higher prices for consumers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's the reality.
 

Deltic1961

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The haulage companies have of course significantly increased their rates. And it's not only staff costs that are rising. Which means higher prices for consumers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's the reality.
Only problem is that the railway is already vastly overpriced and there's a limit to how much the consumer will pay for a service. Scotrail is close to that top level.

Heres an extract from comments on the BBC website a few days ago.
 

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Falcon1200

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That makes no sense what you are saying, Sundays at ScotRail are outside the working week and covered by overtime. It may be committed overtime but it's still overtime, to run a robust and reliable Sunday service making it part of the working week is logical.

I agree, In order to run a reliable Sunday service shifts on that day should logically be part of the working week, but that was not the case when I joined BR in 1978 (or for a long time before that, if not always) and is still not the case now. The reason ? IMHO, Sundays cannot be made part of the week without either reducing the take-home pay of staff, increasing the railway's wage bill - Or both. Neither situation is likely to be acceptable to the parties involved.
 

wobman

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I agree, In order to run a reliable Sunday service shifts on that day should logically be part of the working week, but that was not the case when I joined BR in 1978 (or for a long time before that, if not always) and is still not the case now. The reason ? IMHO, Sundays cannot be made part of the week without either reducing the take-home pay of staff, increasing the railway's wage bill - Or both. Neither situation is likely to be acceptable to the parties involved.
Years ago Sundays on the railway were run by limited services, it was nothing like the Monday to Saturday timetable.
Now the public expect more services and it's a busy day on the railway, most tocs are pushing for a full service on a Sunday.

Something has to change as engineering work is mostly on Sundays but the public want to travel, this is relevant more so now with the push for less usage of cars and more reliance on public transport.
 

InOban

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AIR that there are other TOCs where Sunday is part of the normal week?
 

ComUtoR

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Do you have real examples of employers running roughshod over their staff.

Three companies I have worked for :

Company A - Deliberately gave staff split shifts (4hrs) ("1hr off") (4hrs) because we didn't have to give them 2x 15m breaks but still got them to work 9hrs.
Company B - Told employees they had to opt out of the working time directive or they will be sacked (it was voluntary)
Company C - Told Managers to specifically not tell employees about a small clause in their contract to avoid paying out a bonus (during a contract renegotiation)

Feel free to Google Zero hour contracts, Gig economy, Uber workers etc.

This case : https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/woman-tribunal-employer-childcare-b1915698.html
This case : https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...n-work-baby-tribunal-employment-a9278736.html

Crikey knows how many unfair dismissal cases through sexism, ageism, racism, city culture. etc there has been.


Yeah, its paradise out there and we should all bend over and kiss the ring. :rolleyes:
 

LoogaBarooga

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Only problem is that the railway is already vastly overpriced and there's a limit to how much the consumer will pay for a service. Scotrail is close to that top level.

Heres an extract from comments on the BBC website a few days ago.
The fares are regulated by the government, ScotRail don't decide how much to charge other than for promotional or advance tickets.
 

Goldfish62

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The haulage companies have of course significantly increased their rates. And it's not only staff costs that are rising. Which means higher prices for consumers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's the reality.
And as we've seen today cost increases have an impact on inflation.
 

Nicholas Lewis

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Years ago Sundays on the railway were run by limited services, it was nothing like the Monday to Saturday timetable.
Now the public expect more services and it's a busy day on the railway, most tocs are pushing for a full service on a Sunday.

Something has to change as engineering work is mostly on Sundays but the public want to travel, this is relevant more so now with the push for less usage of cars and more reliance on public transport.
The issue has to be confronted at some point so no like the present although I suspect Albellio are being hung out to dry by TS so they can come in smelling of roses to justify their existence.
 
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