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Brexit concerns

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RUUDBOY

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Hi, I am an applicant for a trainee driver role with London Midland. I have currently passed both assessments and driver manager interview. And I am only awaiting the medical.

I've woken up this morning to the news Britain is leaving the EU, and so my first thought is "how will this affect me?"

Will current applicants in the pipeline find that the recruitment drive grinds to a halt?? Any inside info......
 
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pdeaves

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Nobody knows yet what will happen (we all, as a nation, still need to 'take stock'). Any definitive changes to the ordinary 'man in the street' will not manifest themselves immediately.

Why would a TOC (or any other employer) suddenly decide that they don't need the employee(s) they thought they needed yesterday? Life will carry on as before.
 

johnmoly

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If the EU performs as expected, there will be a renegotiation of the so called terms Cameron were supposed to have won, and a new proposal put forward to the UK, therefore expect another referendum within two years. Even if that doesn't happen it will take about ten years to sort everything out so don't worry about it.
 

telstarbox

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As long as people are still using trains we'll still need people to drive them so I wouldn't worry too much.

In theory if there's a recession there could be less demand for travel but it would have to drop loads before London Midland would run fewer trains and need fewer drivers.
 

rf_ioliver

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Probably nothing at the moment. Article 50 needs to be invoked by the Prime Minister (whoever that will be a Cameron will not do this), then there's 2 years to conduct and finalise the exit negotiations.

The biggest issue will now be any forthcoming emergency budget and the plan of the new PM. If the transport/rail budget gets slashed for example then there will be consequences.

t.

Ian
 

Bromley boy

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The precise impact of Brexit is going to take years to be fully known.

It does not change the fact that the railway is short of staff, especially drivers, and will continue to operate at above capacity in many places.

As a trainee driver I'm far less concerned about Brexit than if I was still working in my previous financial services career.
 

RBSN

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The precise impact of Brexit is going to take years to be fully known.

It does not change the fact that the railway is short of staff, especially drivers, and will continue to operate at above capacity in many places.

As a trainee driver I'm far less concerned about Brexit than if I was still working in my previous financial services career.

I'm waiting to start as a trainee driver on the 25th of July. And I agree, I'm far less worries in this sector than in the printing industry.
 

Bromley boy

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What happens to the EU license ?

That is an interesting one.

Probably nothing in the short term. It will still be EU compliant even when we have withdrawn from the EU!

I guess the legislation underpinning it will have been passed in response to some EU directive or regulation which the UK will no longer be obliged to give effect to, and so in theory could be repealed in the future. Whether the government/DFT will bother changing the licence is another question.
 

185

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....Probably nothing in the short term. It will still be EU compliant even when we have withdrawn from the EU! I guess the legislation underpinning it will have been passed in response to some EU directive or regulation which the UK will no longer be obliged to give effect to, and so in theory could be repealed in the future. Whether the government/DFT will bother changing the licence is another question.

I would suspect the amount of expense with this additional, duplicatory 'licensing' system will certainly be looked at, likely withdrawn - the lovely blue plastic cards would become either souvenirs or beermats before long. The UK's own railway group standards competency is enough on it's own (ie Scwid card).

The only change to the UK Railway perhaps to come will be the ability for foreign railways or businesses to bid for /operate DfT franchises. Joke in the mess room this morning was that we're sending our foreign owners home, leaving us either working for BHS or Sports Direct Trains by 2017. :lol:
 
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Flying_Turtle

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I would suspect the amount of expense with this additional, duplicatory 'licensing' system will certainly be looked at, likely withdrawn - the lovely blue plastic cards would become either souvenirs or beermats before long. The UK's own railway group standards competency is enough on it's own (ie Scwid card).

The only change to the UK Railway perhaps to come will be the ability for foreign railways or businesses to bid for /operate DfT franchises. Joke in the mess room this morning was that we're sending our foreign owners home, leaving us either working for BHS or Sports Direct Trains by 2017. :lol:

Well... Don't forget about Scotland...
 

Bromley boy

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I would suspect the amount of expense with this additional, duplicatory 'licensing' system will certainly be looked at, likely withdrawn - the lovely blue plastic cards would become either souvenirs or beermats before long. The UK's own railway group standards competency is enough on it's own (ie Scwid card).

The only change to the UK Railway perhaps to come will be the ability for foreign railways or businesses to bid for /operate DfT franchises. Joke in the mess room this morning was that we're sending our foreign owners home, leaving us either working for BHS or Sports Direct Trains by 2017. :lol:

Is it issued in addition to a U.K. license? I've yet to get my hands on one so wouldn't know! But yep, maybe an opportunity to trim the fat. Although I suspect it's low on the list of the governments priorities in the short term!

And yes indeed maybe now we can run railways which are British owned, with British built rolling stock and not have the profits creamed off by Kelois etc. to subsidise European national railways.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
 
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ComUtoR

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Is it issued in addition to a U.K. license? I've yet to get my hands on one so wouldn't know!

It's a total replacement for the old style license. It comes in two parts.

But yep, maybe an opportunity to trim the fat.

It comes with additional cost for a TOC. I prefer the new EU license so I would hope they keep it. I don't see any reason to get rid of it.
 

AlterEgo

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Whatever happens, Brexit will likely mean that when you do take up employment, your rights as an employee will be diminished.

Excellent work, England and Wales (!)
 

ComUtoR

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Whatever happens, Brexit will likely mean that when you do take up employment, your rights as an employee will be diminished.

Excellent work, England and Wales (!)

In what way ? Our T&C's are usually negotiated by ASLEF. Are you suggesting there will be a dramatic shift in employment law to the detriment of all employees across the entire country because we left the EU ? What specifically does the EU protect employees from that is specifally an EU law and not a UK one and how will that affect Drivers and other TOC employees ?
 

rf_ioliver

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And yes indeed maybe now we can run railways which are British owned, with British built rolling stock and not have the profits creamed off by Kelois etc. to subsidise European national railways.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

How? The railways a private companies and the EU has strict regulation on how "state-owned" companies can work. I guess the UK, after all the negotiations, could potentially restrict any foreign company from owning a UK company - assuming the WTO would allow that.

If course this then goes both ways, except that I can't think of a case where BR runs a railway company in the EU....yes I know BR doesn't exist.

Actually does anyone know of a UK rail company owning/running a European company in the same form as DB does in the UK?

t.

Ian
 

Phil.

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Whatever happens, Brexit will likely mean that when you do take up employment, your rights as an employee will be diminished.

Excellent work, England and Wales (!)

That's the typical "In" baseless scaremongering that caused the original question.
 

VauxhallandI

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In what way ? Our T&C's are usually negotiated by ASLEF. Are you suggesting there will be a dramatic shift in employment law to the detriment of all employees across the entire country because we left the EU ? What specifically does the EU protect employees from that is specifally an EU law and not a UK one and how will that affect Drivers and other TOC employees ?

The UK "law" will be a Regulation that is derived from an EU Directive.

If the Directive behind the Regulation no longer applies then the UK Gov will need to redraft it as a UK Regulation.

Whilst doing it there would be a nice opportunity to change it or maybe they won't. Hey let's just see what happens, I think that's the Project Hit and Hope slogan.
 

ComUtoR

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The UK "law" will be a Regulation that is derived from an EU Directive.

If the Directive behind the Regulation no longer applies then the UK Gov will need to redraft it as a UK Regulation.

I understand, and thanks for the further clarity, but that wasn't my question.

The statement was made about a diminishing of employment rights. What I would like to know is what specific laws are going to change and how that affects me as an employee. Now is not the time to spread more scaremongering and political rhetoric.

If people are going to make statements then it needs to be backed up. There are many new employees looking in these threads and there will be some genuine concern. Until article 50 is started then all current laws will still apply. At the moment there is no change. Long term may bring changes but TOC employees are usually well protected by the T&C's set out by negotiation with the respective union.
 

VauxhallandI

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I understand, and thanks for the further clarity, but that wasn't my question.

The statement was made about a diminishing of employment rights. What I would like to know is what specific laws are going to change and how that affects me as an employee. Now is not the time to spread more scaremongering and political rhetoric.

If people are going to make statements then it needs to be backed up. There are many new employees looking in these threads and there will be some genuine concern. Until article 50 is started then all current laws will still apply. At the moment there is no change. Long term may bring changes but TOC employees are usually well protected by the T&C's set out by negotiation with the respective union.

Absolutely, there maybe no changes.

However the past has taught us that business and a Conservative Government makes changes in one direction only.

T&C's and Unions are measures of defence but they can be changed over time a lot more easily than a Regulation.

This is the unknown waters we have turned to and that's that it would seem.
 
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najaB

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The statement was made about a diminishing of employment rights. What I would like to know is what specific laws are going to change and how that affects me as an employee. Now is not the time to spread more scaremongering and political rhetoric.
It doesn't apply to train drivers, but one example is the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, passage of which implemented an EC directive but was vehemently opposed by big UK business.

The purpose of these regulations was to stop agency workers being used, abused and disposed of by ensuring that they would receive equal pay, conditions and benefits as direct company employees, providing they had worked in the same posting for twelve weeks or longer.

I know people who have worked as 'temporary' agency staff in the same role for over ten years who were being paid £7 an hour for a job that pays direct employees over £10 an hour. And because they were classed as 'temporary' they found it next to impossible to get a mortgage, loans, etc. They only received statutory sick pay, while direct employees could get up to six months full-pay. And so on.

I have no doubt at all that big business will be lobbying to get this 'European' legislation repealed as soon as possible after we leave the EU.
 
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