A career as a signaller

[Dan 2513]

Dan, Im personally a member of the care scheme after leaving the NRDC. Apparently its the better of the two, so Im lead to believe off everyone Ive asked in the company ha. Please dont take this gospel though

Thanks for your advice. It’s appreciated.
Normally if the majority are in a certain scheme then it’s most likely the best.
i have a few days to check up on it in more detail anyway.

 

[Pav]

I don't yet drive (learning!) and I know this was listed on the job spec but I did include it in my info that I was learning, will this be a bar?this has been quite a year of upheaval for me after I ended a long marriage so really looking for whatever advice, tips and info you guys can give me please. TIA

I can't see any reason a signaller based at EMCC would need to drive. I think its more about you being able to get there at time when public transport cannot, such as for the morning shift handover. The grade 7's at EMCC are on 12 hour shifts and hand over just before 0700/1900.

 

[Pav]

Hi, just have a quick question about the pecking order for OT.

I know that first dibs go to a flexi who is rostered on, but after that should it go to a resident?

Reason I ask is in my location there were 3 nights going next week and I was originally offered them and accepted but then told I was no longer needed. They've been given to a flexi working his free days but I thought that, as a resident with the shifts which ran onto the OT (OT is for Mon-Wed night and I'm rostered on Thu-Sat night) I should take priority?

Not trying to be greedy and this is just for my own knowledge, but can anyone definitively say what the pecking order is please? Also are there regional arrangements or is it just a blanket policy for the country?

Cheers

Hey, have you got a copy of the NRP as the priority is listed in that. If you need it you can find it on MyConnect or if you cant find it, send me a pm with you NR email address and I'll forward it to you.

 

[Pav]

Over the moon!

I just accepted the grade two position at Wickenby SB.
Now starts all the big decisions like pensions. Although I am not too bad with pensions I’d wouldn’t mind some advice on which seems to be the most pop of the two options.

smart or care????

I went into CARE also, but then as soon as I hit 5 years I changed to RPS, as did everyone else I know.

 

[RedMum77]

I can't see any reason a signaller based at EMCC would need to drive. I think its more about you being able to get there at time when public transport cannot, such as for the morning shift handover. The grade 7's at EMCC are on 12 hour shifts and hand over just before 0700/1900.

Thanks, 7am/pm wouldn't be an issue at all so good to know the times, and also that its a 12 hr. Just a matter of waiting now and keeping fingers crossed!

 

[MylesHSG]

I went into CARE also, but then as soon as I hit 5 years I changed to RPS, as did everyone else I know.

That's my plan also. 2 more years until I can join it though

 

[Tom Quinne]

I'm still trying to get permanent nights as a relief. I'm more of a night person as opposed to a day person.

I’d be well up for a night relief link, but it’ll never happen.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Thanks, 7am/pm wouldn't be an issue at all so good to know the times, and also that its a 12 hr. Just a matter of waiting now and keeping fingers crossed!

Bare in mind rocking up at 0700/1900 will not make you popular with your colleagues.

It’s accepted norm you’ll relieve at 0630/1830, fancy walking in snow or pouring rain? What happens if the buses are on strike?
Xmas day etc?

Your own means of transport are very important, being late for shift change isn’t going to go down well.

 

[High Dyke]

I’d be well up for a night relief link, but it’ll never happen.

I know. In some respect it makes a bit of sense. IMHO if they had a dedicated 'night relief' whilst there may be plenty of 'spare' turns, on a Monday morning it helps that roster clerks don't have to start swapping people about to cover engineering turns they didn't know about on the previous Thursday. I think local management are getting a bit fed-up with me keep mentioning the idea when I see them.

 

[nom de guerre]

The G8 + 24% relief signaller job in Woking ASC...wow, some serious money there!

If only Wessex did 12hr rosters...

 

[Rammie]

Thanks, 7am/pm wouldn't be an issue at all so good to know the times, and also that its a 12 hr. Just a matter of waiting now and keeping fingers crossed!

I’m sure when I joined NR as a signaller a fair few years ago there was a rule you couldn’t live more then an hours drive away from your box. I’m sure it was so if you were on twelves and they enforced a hours OT for whatever reason, you wouldn’t go over the 14 hours working. Or am I making it up?

 

[High Dyke]

I can't see any reason a signaller based at EMCC would need to drive. I think its more about you being able to get there at time when public transport cannot, such as for the morning shift handover. The grade 7's at EMCC are on 12 hour shifts and hand over just before 0700/1900.

It's a good job I didn't go through with the interview for there a few years ago. Sunday day shifts I would have to drive there as the first train isn't until 09:00, from where I live, to Nottingham. The other six days of the week it's just after 06:00. At least on nights I would've used the train.

 

[Amanda]

It's a good job I didn't go through with the interview for there a few years ago. Sunday day shifts I would have to drive there as the first train isn't until 09:00, from where I live, to Nottingham. The other six days of the week it's just after 06:00. At least on nights I would've used the train.

Even from where I live (just outside the northern boundary of Nottingham City), 6:30 by public transport isn't achievable. 7am might be, albeit only just. I don't currently own a car but my applications to the EMCC have been based on my own expectation that I would need one! If you live in the general Derby area though then I imagine you could certainly get there by public transport.

 

[mac]

I went into CARE also, but then as soon as I hit 5 years I changed to RPS, as did everyone else I know.

Maybe you could help with my query I joined RPS 2 months ago but have now been sent a Transfer Request and a Transfer In Form what do I do with them

 

[Llanigraham]

I’m sure when I joined NR as a signaller a fair few years ago there was a rule you couldn’t live more then an hours drive away from your box. I’m sure it was so if you were on twelves and they enforced a hours OT for whatever reason, you wouldn’t go over the 14 hours working. Or am I making it up?

No that was my recollection of when I started.

 

[Tom Quinne]

I’m sure when I joined NR as a signaller a fair few years ago there was a rule you couldn’t live more then an hours drive away from your box. I’m sure it was so if you were on twelves and they enforced a hours OT for whatever reason, you wouldn’t go over the 14 hours working. Or am I making it up?

They can ask you to work one extra hour on your 12 subject to a risk assessment, and you saying yes.

No chance would I, Ive come within 5 minutes of closing my workstation - focused their minds!

 

[MylesHSG]

They can ask you to work one extra hour on your 12 subject to a risk assessment, and you saying yes.

No chance would I, Ive come within 5 minutes of closing my workstation - focused their minds!

I thought you couldn't work more than 12 hours anyway? And needed 12 hours max rest before booking on again.

This "1 hour forced overtime" is very wrong indeed. Granted, I've never had it forced on me, but in effect we are "on call" an hour every day we work. Got a medical appointment 30 mins after your shift end? Got to pick the kids up from school? Surely we should be getting paid for this hour as we have to plan our lives around it...

 

[Tom Quinne]

It’s not forced, you can and should say no.
You’d still get 12hrs rest, you’d book on an hour later than normal then work an 11hr turn.

 

[Amanda]

I noticed that the 18mth secondment for Woodhouse signal box, for which I got an "unsuccessful" notification yesterday (but no email telling me that or giving me a reason, unlike my previous rejection) has been advertised again. Is there any point to reapplying? I'm going to guess not, but then it doesn't hurt I suppose.

 

[Sunset route]

I thought you couldn't work more than 12 hours anyway? And needed 12 hours max rest before booking on again.

To think about it logically, everyone on a 12hrs roster works a 13hr turn at least once a year when the clocks go back.

The extra hour rule has been written in its current form since the 2001 agreement, which is the last time the RMT union members voted for money over conditions. Which was made very clear to us at a RMT signallers grade conference a few years back. Basically we sold ourselves out for not reading the small print.

I implore signallers to at least get themselves copies of the 1995 and 2001 signallers agreement documents and the 2001 National Rostering Principles just to be better informed.

 

[Qball]

Just seen two jobs on the internal site
Castleford grade 5
Wakefield kirkgate station grade 3

Does anyone have any info on them.

 

[MylesHSG]

To think about it logically, everyone on a 12hrs roster works a 13hr turn at least once a year when the clocks go back.

The extra hour rule has been written in its current form since the 2001 agreement, which is the last time the RMT union members voted for money over conditions. Which was made very clear to us at a RMT signallers grade conference a few years back. Basically we sold ourselves out for not reading the small print.

I implore signallers to at least get themselves copies of the 1995 and 2001 signallers agreement documents and the 2001 National Rostering Principles just to be better informed.

I was 9 years old when that was agreed!

True, I think far too many of us just go with the flow and don't challenge things we see as wrong. When I joined I was advised by my colleagues "keep the roster clerk happy by doing RDW, even when it's not convenient for you, as it'll help when booking leave".

 

[Defenestrate]

I noticed that the 18mth secondment for Woodhouse signal box, for which I got an "unsuccessful" notification yesterday (but no email telling me that or giving me a reason, unlike my previous rejection) has been advertised again. Is there any point to reapplying? I'm going to guess not, but then it doesn't hurt I suppose.

The email normally comes within 24 hours of the status change on the recruitment site.

There's always a point in re-applying, especially if you make improvements to your previous application!

 

[Llanigraham]

It’s not forced, you can and should say no.
You’d still get 12hrs rest, you’d book on an hour later than normal then work an 11hr turn.

I've done it once, after a night shift, when my relief was snow bound, and Control were trying everything to get someone to relieve me. However they also ended up paying for me to stay in a local hotel as I was unlikely to get home and then back in the next evening.
And we still ended up shutting the line for a couple of hours.

The biggest "problem" with just walking out at (say) 0600 is what happens to any trains approaching your Box? In my case they would have been stuck at a red signal with no road access and no known time of resolution. Atleast staying on gave the TOC a chance to stop trains at the 2 nearest large stations.

And we signallers have been accused of not think of passengers!

 

[Rockhopper]

I noticed that the 18mth secondment for Woodhouse signal box, for which I got an "unsuccessful" notification yesterday (but no email telling me that or giving me a reason, unlike my previous rejection) has been advertised again. Is there any point to reapplying? I'm going to guess not, but then it doesn't hurt I suppose.

Unless you are a total plumb it’s always worth having another go. Got to in it to win it and all that. And your application will be judged against the others so if they are poor this time and you are good then jobs a fish.

 

[Stigy]

Unless you are a total plumb it’s always worth having another go. Got to in it to win it and all that. And your application will be judged against the others so if they are poor this time and you are good then jobs a fish.

Don’t you have to wait 6-months?

 

[Defenestrate]

Don’t you have to wait 6-months?

That's only for the online tests - you can apply for any number of jobs, numerous times if you pass them!

 

[Stigy]

That's only for the online tests - you can apply for any number of jobs, numerous times if you pass them!

Even for the same post/location though?

 

[Defenestrate]

Even for the same post/location though?

Yes. 1 application per advert/job reference number.

If another one comes up that looks the same but job number is different, then apply again.

 

[Devonish]

Anyone know what shifts BUXTON signal box works?