ASLEF strikes W/c 6th May

[dk1]

I have an advance ticket Victoria - Barnham on an overtime ban day that has been cancelled.

No email or communication from Southern about this ticket or journey.

Can I use it on the preceding or following services 30 mins either side of the original ticket time?

Of course you can if your service is caped.

 

[theironroad]

Movement?

Is that from Aslef head office or local?

Definitely not received by all drivers. Funny that the email/text for action arrives ok.

 

[dk1]

Is that from Aslef head office or local?

Definitely not received by all drivers. Funny that the email/text for action arrives ok.

ASLEF. All drivers in our messroom received them yesterday lunchtime.

 

[theironroad]

ASLEF. All drivers in our messroom received them yesterday lunchtime.

text or email?

 

[Noodle]

I got both, check your junk folder for the email.

 

[dk1]

text or email?

Mine was text.

 

[theironroad]

I got both, check your junk folder for the email.

Mine was text.

Thanks both. Did check spam. I'll see what the messroom has to say soon

 

[winks]

Haven’t staff at London Overground just agreed a pay deal covering 3 years from 2023,2024,2025. All be it train mainteners etc and not drivers but certainly a retrospective deal can be draw up an accepted. It looks a decent offer aswell.

 

[12LDA28C]

Haven’t staff at London Overground just agreed a pay deal covering 3 years from 2023,2024,2025. All be it train mainteners etc and not drivers but certainly a retrospective deal can be draw up an accepted. It looks a decent offer aswell.

Ironic also that DRS drivers have just been given a 5% pay increase (and also got a rise last year I believe) when DRS is owned and funded by the Government.

 

[baz962]

Haven’t staff at London Overground just agreed a pay deal covering 3 years from 2023,2024,2025. All be it train mainteners etc and not drivers but certainly a retrospective deal can be draw up an accepted. It looks a decent offer aswell.

Overground drivers got a pay deal this year backdated one for 2023 plus RPI for this year and next year.

 

[dk1]

Overground drivers got a pay deal this year backdated one for 2023 plus RPI for this year and next year.

Nice and easy for them as they don’t have to live under the DfT dictatorship.

 

[Class 170101]

Nice and easy for them as they don’t have to live under the DfT dictatorship.

But Khan has to do what the government says because he has run out of money so he isn't exactly flushed with money to pay staff.

 

[Goldfish62]

But Khan has to do what the government says because he has run out of money so he isn't exactly flushed with money to pay staff.

But Overground drivers have nothing to do with him (we'll find out if it's still him later today). They're employed by Arriva Rail London, which isn't a subsidiary of TfL.

 

[dk1]

But Khan has to do what the government says because he has run out of money so he isn't exactly flushed with money to pay staff.

Moneyless or not, all TfL drivers have been given no strings pay deals.

 

[urbophile]

Hopefully you have purchased a London CIV ticket, in which case Eurostar will have to accommodate you on the next service with capacity.

No, because I have an Interrail pass. I'll just have to hope that at least one of the possible trains is running even if I have to get up at silly o'clock.

 

[dk1]

But Overground drivers have nothing to do with him (we'll find out if it's still him later today). They're employed by Arriva Rail London, which isn't a subsidiary of TfL.

But it’s always been run as a concession rather than a franchise hasn’t it?

 

[Goldfish62]

But it’s always been run as a concession rather than a franchise hasn’t it?

Doesn't make any difference whatsoever. Arriva Rail London is a contractor whatever contract model is used. TfL is not responsible for the pay rates of employees of its contractors.

 

[dk1]

Doesn't make any difference whatsoever. Arriva Rail London is a contractor whatever contract model is used. TfL is not responsible for the pay rates of employees of its contractors.

So obviously they didn’t have to go through the DfT dictatorship?

Similar to Merseyrail.

 

[Goldfish62]

So obviously they didn’t have to go through the DfT dictatorship?

Similar to Merseyrail.

Indeed so. And taking buses as an example, TfL imposes severe contractual penalties on operators when services fail to operate as a result of strike action, which incentives them to settle quickly. A complete contrast to the DfT.

 

[Train_manager]

Ironic also that DRS drivers have just been given a 5% pay increase (and also got a rise last year I believe)

Just like all the other FOCs.

7% ish across the board.

 

[Krokodil]

But Khan has to do what the government says because he has run out of money so he isn't exactly flushed with money to pay staff.

The dispute isn't just about money. It's about protecting conditions. Khan isn't daft enough to try and take a sledgehammer to conditions for a meagre increase in pay.

 

[Snow1964]

I don’t think there are any talks taking place between Aslef and Huw Merriman. Mick Whelan has confirmed as much this evening on Twitter.

I doubt Huw Merriman does the talking so this is saying nothing, had it been phrased as civil service or rail delivery group then might be factual.

I suspect Mick Whalen doesn't sit in on the actual talking meeting either. He is the secretary, not the negotiator.

 

[irish_rail]

Hopefully the utterly disastrous election results for the Tories will gee them into action on sorting out disputes like this. Looking at the polls they must now realise the policy of trying to play hardball with the unions has failed miserably. Time to make a fair offer to Aslef and end all this now.

 

[Facing Back]

Hopefully the utterly disastrous election results for the Tories will gee them into action on sorting out disputes like this. Looking at the polls they must now realise the policy of trying to play hardball with the unions has failed miserably. Time to make a fair offer to Aslef and end all this now.

Do you really thing that these results will make a difference to this negotiation?

 

[ZNB13]

Do you really thing that these results will make a difference to this negotiation?

Same here, nothing will change. I think it's time for ASLEF to call a full on 3 day strike, where we all walk out together...

 

[Class 317]

Same here, nothing will change. I think it's time for ASLEF to call a full on 3 day strike, where we all walk out together...

I'm not sure that would make a difference at this point. With slot of office based staff able to WFH the political pressure to settle would be less and with Tories expecting to out of power where would the incentive to settle be?

 

[Facing Back]

I'm not sure that would make a difference at this point. With slot of office based staff able to WFH the political pressure to settle would be less and with Tories expecting to out of power where would the incentive to settle be?

I tend to agree. I suspect the window for influencing the current government has closed.

ASLEF's strategy of keeping the dispute in the public eye with the occasional strike and waiting for the next government seems to make sense.

I'm interested to see what the next administration makes of the need to modernise and take cost out. I'm interested in their approach to increasing productivity more broadly as well.

My guess is that they won't see eye to eye with ASLEF but whether they are willing to push it is a different matter - I'm quite sure it won't be a priority.

I wonder if there is middle ground there if there is less antipathy? A less invasive change to working practices?

 

[irish_rail]

Do you really thing that these results will make a difference to this negotiation?

Well Sunak must now realise what he is doing isn't working and he needs big changes if he is to have even a tiny chance of keeping his job post election. Sorting these type of disputes and allowing the country to experience growth is maybe something he will now have to embrace, something has to change. After all, it would be madness to keep the current direction of travel.

 

[GordonT]

Well Sunak must now realise what he is doing isn't working and he needs big changes if he is to have even a tiny chance of keeping his job post election. Sorting these type of disputes and allowing the country to experience growth is maybe something he will now have to embrace, something has to change. After all, it would be madness to keep the current direction of travel.

I think that back in the real world the ship has long since sailed on any tiny chance of him keeping his job post election. Industrial relations problems affecting the railways will barely be on his personal radar.

 

[irish_rail]

I think that back in the real world the ship has long since sailed on any tiny chance of him keeping his job post election. Industrial relations problems affecting the railways will barely be on his personal radar.

And that's just one (of many) reasons why he has been such a p*ss poor PM.