It‘s the responsibility of everyone employed by ‘the railway’ to grow it, in the sense of making it better for passengers and freight users. I don’t think anyone employed by the railway will disagree with that, or if they do they need to find a new career.
That’s all very well as an abstract soundbite - especially when it isn’t your own work life balance and Ts and Cs in the firing line - but how does it relate to the current dispute? And how does it relate to the railway where TOCs now have little to no autonomy over their own businesses, and where
all frontline staff are facing an attack on their Ts and Cs, irrespective of the effort they make individually?
Unless you’re suggesting ASLEF and its members should all just quietly accept the government ripping up our Ts and Cs “for the good of the railway”. Good luck with that! It’s funny how nobody expects the problems in other industries (eg NHS waiting lists) to be magically solved by screwing over front line staff.
Call me out for being cynical, but I think the current government are leaving as many 'banana skins' for the incoming government as they can, and when a settlement is reached after the election they can then play the inevitable 'Labour caving to the Unions' card (HS2 is another rail related one, as well as others outside the rail industry). Beyond the spin they know they have lost the upcoming election, the more hardheaded ones behind the scenes will be looking ahead to try and get back in after 5 years, and the easiest way is to leave issues which will look for bad for the new government.
And to those who say I am being to harsh in my assesment, if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck then it probably is a duck.
What is sad about all this is that I would regard myself as a conservative (with a small C) but the current government are up there with one of the most ineffectve and disorganised within my memory, which is 60 years ish.
Unfortunately both rail users and workers (i.e. ASLEF in this case) are the losers.
Agree with all of this (and I have similar politics). They’ve basically adopted a scorched earth policy as far as public services (and finances) are concerned.
Fair enough, but unfortunately there is no sign of the Government changing their position regarding Drivers.
In which case why should anyone imagine ASLEF’s approach will change? We’re better off continuing as we are until the next election, now only a matter of months away. That’s far more attractive to me as a member than giving up Ts and Cs that will never be won back and, if lost, will make the job unliveable.
That for me is what ASLEF should have been focussing their campaign on; Obviously pay is an issue too but the additional disruption to the work/life balance of a group of people already working extremely unsocial hours should have formed, IMHO, the main thrust of their case. Were I still at work, I would have been as unhappy as Drivers with such changes to T&Cs.
And if I were ASLEF I would be looking to highlight arrangements in other safety critical industries, and the negative impact that not managing it or not taking it into account has on overall safety, with both examples of how not to do it, and also best practice.
I also believe that a well paid and content workforce is essential in any safety critical role.
Also true, and most intelligent/sensible people are understanding of that once what’s
really going on behind the pay-focussed headlines has been explained.
But ultimately, who do we really need to convince?! There’s little point “making a case” to halfwits who read the Daily Mail, or those who despise traincrew and unions by default because they have some sort of axe to grind, so why bother trying!?
