EMT strike (regional routes) - Sat 20 & 27 Jul, 3 Aug

This is what I've been told too. If you don't challenge it, once you get TUPE'd over it can be difficult to resolve.

 

If the contracts are 6 years old, are EMT actually changing anything - enforcing terms they haven't before? Or are the RMT raising the ante on provisions in those contracts that they have never liked?

 

There's a lot of smallprint and the full picture isn't really out there. Nobody ever really wants to withdraw their labour, it's usually the last resort people can utilise when all else has failed.

 

I agree the level of urgency of a high profile dispute which is ongoing when the new company takes over dilutes the "give us a couple of years to get our feet under the table argument" and I'm not taking either side as gospel - as there are no real facts here to examine.

I'm merely curious. My experience at industrial relations is all outside of this industry and to go from silence to strike appears a little odd. I understand that the great majority of staff will simply want to get on with their job in a safe and sensible manner but I must admit to being slightly cynical whether that's 100% true at the senior levels of the RMT and the DfT. I'm not sure about the ToCs as they are by design short lived entities but I've heard nothing about issues with industrial relations with EMT and RMT - but as you say much of that could have been going on behind closed doors for years!

 

There have been a number of disagreements under discussion for quite a while and the RMT have hit a brick wall with EMT. There are a ridiculous number of contract variations due to HR 'issues' which doesn't help matters.

The strength of the ballot (80% turnout, 69% in favour of strike, 86% in favour of work to rule) should demonstrate quite well the irritation of the guards.

We have to be careful what we say unfortunately but it's not something that is being taken lightly and the current situation needs resolving.

 

This feels more like putting a marker down for Abellio. I am not sure what options are even open to Stagecoach to agree anything with the RMT because I understood that TOCs were limited in what they can do in the last twelve months of a franchise to avoid committing potential successors to liabilities they weren't expecting.

 

https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-slams-east-midlands-train-bosses/

Relevant quote to promote discussion as requested by "Moderating Team" person.


"Rail union RMT today slammed East Midlands Trains bosses for sabotaging planned talks over strike action by Senior Conductors, action which is due to start next week, as they are all apparently on holiday until after the action starts.

RMT had made the entirely normal request for talks to explore a possible solution in advance of the action only to be told that no one from the company management side was available until at least five days after it is due to start."

 

A shame that the RMT didn't check that the other party would be available for talks. It takes two to tango!

 

Blast; I was planning a holiday based in Nottingham around the 20th. Any chance the timetable will remain intact or should I call off the holiday?

 

Depends where you’re coming from, as it’s only the regional services which will be affected, not the Mainline ones as far as I’m aware?

 

On the Saturday I was planning to do Nottingham - Skegness as it's a line I've never been on and I wanted to do it on a HST. I suppose being a HST it might not count as a 'regional service' but if the sprinters that ply the route are all cancelled I imagine even the HST could be standing room only.

 

The HST to Skegness is likely to be one of the first things to go due to the small number of SCs cleared on the HST.

 

Thanks for letting me know, I'll just have to cross my fingers that I'll get to do Skegness on a HST another time.

 

However it could be resourced from the mainline crew?

 

They don't sign the route.

 

Incredibly unlikely as those who sign the route are striking, and I doubt any TMs would be willing to do so.

 

The only possibility is if there is a manager who signs both the route and traction (or who are currently being taught the route and know the traction) really.

 

So it will make linking to the MML interesting from Grantham / Newark to Nottingham (for St Pancras vice Kings Cross) on Bank Holiday Saturday then.

 

Does anyone know which routes are considered regional for the purpose of these strikes please? Everything other than London services? Will Liverpool - Nottingham -Norwich be affected?

 

Everything that isn't a London service (operated by 222s or HSTs)

 

Thank you!