FCC Staff Shortage

[thelem]

Today alone there are in excess of 30 cancellations, numerous short formations and numerous alterations and this has been pretty much the same story for the past fortnight.

Why are there short formations? If anything I would have expected long formations, as two four carriage trains can be run as an eight carriage train with a single driver.

OK, it requires work scheduling things to keep the rolling stock in the right place, but that doesn't sound like an impossible problem, and surely needs to be done given the cancellations anyway.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

As I read it FCC may actually be making a loss for First Group. Any increase in costs (drivers wages) will have to be paid for by first group.

If FCC are making a loss then surely the drivers can pay for it by taking a pay cut? Judging by the posts above they want their salaries to be linked to First's profits, so I can't see why they'd complain.

 

[Tom C]

Why are there short formations? If anything I would have expected long formations, as two four carriage trains can be run as an eight carriage train with a single driver.

I presume its something to do with stock in the wrong place due to cancellations. Many units split and join at Brighton but if a 4 car working doesn't get to Brighton then it can't be attached to form an 8 and I presume the same applies for St Albans and Luton for the Suttons.

If FCC are making a loss then surely the drivers can pay for it by taking a pay cut? Judging by the posts above they want their salaries to be linked to First's profits, so I can't see why they'd complain

As I read it FCC did have growth last year but not as much as the shareholders (sorry....company) would have liked.

If they are linked to First Groups profits then we are all in for a nice bounty judging by the amount the group has taken this year.

 

[The Box Photter]

As a daily commuter on FCC (Bedford - St Pancras & Blackfriars) I am getting a little fed up with the cancellations & short formed trains. I do; however, support the drivers as they are merely working to their contract of employment.

The fault lies entirely with First Group for thinking they could run the FCC franchise on the cheap, i.e. without sufficient drivers. Stagecoach nearly lost the SWT franchise first time around because it made a large number of drivers redundant and then discovered it couldn't operate all the trains in the peak hours.

What is DfT doing about the failure to run the service as timetabled? Fining FCC £2,500 per cancelled train does not get me home in the evening.

What amuses me is the sheer incompetence of FCC in the way it is trying to run the service. Each evening I see eight car trains running the all-stations services to Luton & St Albans, while the following fast or semi-fast Bedford train is either cancelled or short-formed. In my opinion, for the time being the local stopping service should be either cancelled or severely curtailed. If you need to get to Hendon, Kentish Town, West Hampstead or Cricklewood you can do so by tube & bus. Passengers for stations north of Elstree Tunnel have no alternative route.

If you're reading this in Kentish Town or West Hampstead, sorry, but you have alternatives. If anyone from FCC management is reading this, please get a grip. The FCC staff on the platforms are doing a good job in difficult circumstances and so far as I have seen are doing it with a smile. Keep it up.

 

[paul1609]

I presume its something to do with stock in the wrong place due to cancellations. Many units split and join at Brighton but if a 4 car working doesn't get to Brighton then it can't be attached to form an 8 and I presume the same applies for St Albans and Luton for the Suttons.



As I read it FCC did have growth last year but not as much as the shareholders (sorry....company) would have liked.

If they are linked to First Groups profits then we are all in for a nice bounty judging by the amount the group has taken this year.

I think the way it works is you have to meet you growth targets you set in your franchise model. If your revenue falls short after year 4 a certain amount of the revenue shortfall is underwritten by Dft and the remainder by the toc owning group. Fcc has reached the maximum contribution from the Govt.
First Group will have a maximum liability to FCC when this is used up they can hand the keys back in like National Express will do with NXEC or they can continue to fund the franchise from the group funds (I think Stagecoach are in this position with SWT). A pay increase for staff will of course increase costs and ensure the financial reserve is used up faster.

I dont think First Group are permitted to pay a salary increase out of Group funds because it would become a continuing liability after the franchise has ended so I dont think drivers salaries can be linked to Group profits.

By the way this is just me stating the facts as I see them. I very rarely use FCCs services.

 

[Roger That]

First Group won't be handing the keys back at FCC as it's a cash cow for them. Like all Capitalists, they like to keep all the money for themselves and baulk at the idea of sharing the wealth with the people that created it for them.

Anyway, from The Times today:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article6903527.ece

The article clearly states that FCC are doing quite ok financially thank you very much (and thank you Mr Taxpayer), especially given a recession. The Group as a whole took a hit on some fuel hedging hiatus, but hey, the FCC management only negotiate pay deals on the basis of FCC performance, not First Group performance, or at least that's what they used to say whenever FG made massive amounts of money. Also in the article it states that the First Group rail division profits ar UP by 5.2%. Shareholder dividend is UP (again) by 10%.

Moir Lockhead's remuneration package is UP by a bundle. But the staff can expect 0.0% (backdated to April )

Make no mistake, these are the reasons there will be little or no service on Sunday and with the next date planned for the 29th (to coincide with a home Arsenal football match) the company has plenty of time to start being reasonable. This is not a Driver issue neccesarily, it is one that affects all grades, but it's laid at the door of the Driver to do something because of the perceived 'muscle' that they have.

 

[O L Leigh]

I feel I must go on record to say that I support my colleagues on FCC. This is a process that I and my immediate colleagues went through earlier this year, and I can recognise and identify with a lot of the issues that FCC staff are facing.

However, while I also extend my sympathies to FCC station staff who are experiencing the backlash, Roger That has just hit the nail squarely on the head. It usually falls to the drivers to take action to hopefully benefit all grades because they are the only grade that can really have an impact on the service to the extent that it will grab management's attention. To you guys I have to say that this is a short-term pain for you, but hang in there. The drivers are not doing this to make your lives hard but because there are issues within your company that they are trying to get the management to rectify.

O L Leigh

 

[Greenback]

Well said Roger That and O L leigh, I completely agree. Why can't the shareholders and fat cats take 0% this year like they expect the staff to?

 

[jon0844]

I have to play devils advocate here and say that if they do pay shareholders nice dividends, they are more able to get investment and support from said shareholders.

In an ideal world a company would do things for 1) staff, 2) customers and 3) shareholders. I have no doubt that many businesses have people in charge who genuinely want this too (Richard Branson once said it), but then reality hits home.

However, I too support the drivers on this - but ask me again in six months if this isn't resolved and I may have a different opinion.

 

[73110]

The offer made today by management was again 0% for this year and 3% for next year. This is an improved offer of 0% for this year and 0.5% next year. It got refused straight away and has now gone to the ASLEF hierarchy.

Yet again no thanks from them at all for all the help in getting the training done the last year and a bit.

http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/4723465.St_Albans_trains_cancelled/?ref=mr

 

[jon0844]

3% sounds pretty good to me?

 

[blondie64]

3% sounds pretty good to me?

the original pay offer was 0% this year back dated to April - FCC managements words! then 0.5% on RPI which at moment is running at -1.5% which would mean 1% paycut! and this is the paydeal across all grades not just drivers and after all parties sat down in 2 working parties to discuss what was wanted/expected /available and the way the original offer was put over was very insulting.
there was not even mention of improved benefits or payrise for lower grades and emergency meeting this week to discuss the driver shortage was cancelled because a manager couldn't be bothered to turn up!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I was told a meeting yesterday was cancelled last minute, so I hope that whatever happened today is beneficial for both passengers and drivers!

I had plans for Sunday, but I'm not taking a bloody rail replacement bus! At least not unless I can get money from Delay Repay for the fact that I'm going to get into London more than 30 minutes late by bus.

no buses check out Hertford East services???
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
as the paytalks actually be held with all parties the drivers action will focus the companies attention for all staff, who if they actually went to branch meetings would actually realise what is being done in their name.

 

[jon0844]

I understand the 0.5% bit being an insult, but now it's 3% - so isn't that quite good - even if it's 0% this year?

Okay, not quite good - but certainly still a small increase when inflation is taken into account.

We'd all like more money. I've had 0% for two years and would love a pay rise just as much as anyone else.

 

[SWT Driver]

It depends what "strings" are attached.

We've just been offered 1,5% this year & 0,5% next year, needless to say the union has told SWT where to put it.

I'm getting the feeling this year could be exceptionally bumpy, especially as SWT cannot use managers anymore to drive trains.

Stagecoach probably have the worst employee relations of any TOC, they're totally adversarial a thoroughly nasty & despicable bunch of cohorts who have the charm, charisma & morals of Saddam Hussein, Doctor Mengele & Attila The Hun all in one.

 

[73110]

I understand the 0.5% bit being an insult, but now it's 3% - so isn't that quite good - even if it's 0% this year?

Okay, not quite good - but certainly still a small increase when inflation is taken into account.

We'd all like more money. I've had 0% for two years and would love a pay rise just as much as anyone else.

I think there is a big point being missed here. 0% is an insult. Over the last year or so there has been the 377 training program that went through because drivers worked the extra rest days needed to make it work. No thanks for that at all, nothing.

Also at the same time there was a route learning program to sort out for the Sevenoaks route. Again, drivers were taken off the roster and a rest day driver was given the job to cover him/her off on their routes.

What thanks have they given them for all the help over the last year or so, nothing, as we all can see. No thanks for a job well done equals no respect at all shown to the staff who made this all possible.

I quote this from the Railnews website;

On the 22nd of October FCC offered drivers 0% for 2009 and 0.5% above RPI for 2010. As drivers they were'nt expecting anything fantastic taking into account the present economical climate, but the above offer is a kick in the teeth to them having already put themselves about working rest days which is optional overtime to get drivers train up on the new 377 trains operating between Bedford and Brighton and other drivers train up on the new route to sevenoaks. All the training was payed for by the DFT. All that training is now complete at Bedford and Brighton,so when i heard on the local news last night a statement from FCC that the cause for the cancellations is ongoing training which is causing a shortage of drivers i felt compelled to set the record straight. There are drivers at Blackfrias being trained on the new 377 but only about 4 at a time this would not cause the amount of cancellations being witness the real reason is majority of drivers feel let down by FCC over the pay deal and don't feel why they should put themselves about any longer. FCC know training is coming to an end for now, so the message is thanks but now BOG OF . Regarding their statement i think they are to embarrassed to admit the real reason is the derisory offer regarding pay, so they resorted to lying to their passengers.

A.Friend, ST Albans, England

 

[Greenback]

People are going to blame the drivers aren't they! The drivers are refusing to work beyond their normal hours (which is perfectly fine) but when trains are being cancelled - I can't imagine many people having that much sympathy. Why would they? Why SHOULD they? It's the anger from the passengers that the drivers are hoping will force FCC into doing something.

If the drivers want to carry forward their protest by working to rule, they can't be naive enough to think they've got the full support of the public. But, it's the staff at the gates and in the ticket offices that will be getting the brunt of it all. Well, unless a driver is mobbed on the way to/from a train.

I am blaming FCC for this - but not just because of the pay situation (I am not going to get involved in whether 0, 0.5, 1, 2 or 100% pay rises are sustainable) but the lack of information to the public and the whole way they've handled it.

Yes, I think FCC are to blame. If you want and expect groups of staff to work beyond their contracted hours, it requires an element of goodwill from that group. The point here is that after avoiding the issue since April, seven months down the line, absolutely nothing is being offered, yet the company still expects to be able to run its services by its employees working extra hours, simply because, for whatever reason, it will not employ more people. Considering the large salaries and bonuses that the top people at FCC, and indeed First receive, it's a disgrace that these same managers have allowed things to get to this stage.

Having said that, it may well be that the nationwide policy of First Group plc has tied the hands of the FCC managers, as they have not been allowed tor ecruit or offer an increase this year. In which case the blame sits squarely in First HQ!

 

[Aictos]

Yes, I think FCC are to blame. If you want and expect groups of staff to work beyond their contracted hours, it requires an element of goodwill from that group. The point here is that after avoiding the issue since April, seven months down the line, absolutely nothing is being offered, yet the company still expects to be able to run its services by its employees working extra hours, simply because, for whatever reason, it will not employ more people. Considering the large salaries and bonuses that the top people at FCC, and indeed First receive, it's a disgrace that these same managers have allowed things to get to this stage.

Having said that, it may well be that the nationwide policy of First Group plc has tied the hands of the FCC managers, as they have not been allowed tor ecruit or offer an increase this year. In which case the blame sits squarely in First HQ!

There's only one person who responsible for the mess at the moment either directly or indirectly and is the one person who should step up and sort out the issues and that's Sir Moir Lockhead.

I've helped cover shifts which due to staff shortages helped ensured the job got done, very rarely have I ever been told well done, thank you from management apart from getting the odd letter from the area manager saying well done and how pleased she is with me after some passenger writes in and says how helpful I am.

Now I'm not expecting a pat on the back all the time but from time to time, it would be nice to have a thank you.

Saying that, the odd letter does make all the difference as I know I must be doing a good job to get noticed like this.

 

[Greenback]

I think First has simply got too big, yet Sir Moir still wants to retain personal control. He seems too keen to please shareholders rather than let his managers get on with running their own individual companies. There doesn't seem to be as much delegation as there once was, I'd love to know why Andrew Haines left FGW or Elaine Holt left FCC. I worked for the latter when she was with FGW, and she was tough but pretty fair. Interestingly, there does seem to be less of the 'First' company mantra around in Scotland, where the identity of Scotrail is more Scottish than First. It may be due to the fact that there is a clearly defined stakeholder relationship with the Scottish Parliament.

 

[westcoaster]

The offer made today by management was again 0% for this year and 3% for next year. This is an improved offer of 0% for this year and 0.5% next year. It got refused straight away and has now gone to the ASLEF hierarchy.

Yet again no thanks from them at all for all the help in getting the training done the last year and a bit.

http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/4723465.St_Albans_trains_cancelled/?ref=mr

was the 3% with t&c included or 3% no strings.

 

[blondie64]

I understand the 0.5% bit being an insult, but now it's 3% - so isn't that quite good - even if it's 0% this year?

Okay, not quite good - but certainly still a small increase when inflation is taken into account.

We'd all like more money. I've had 0% for two years and would love a pay rise just as much as anyone else.

i say this is a pay review for all grades and also this is a company that in one day said to the city it was in a recession proof business then in pay talks saying we were in a recession so couldn't afford to pay anymore!

while they don't employ enough staff to run the service the have promised to run, they save money on less N.I. & pension payemnts, less uniforms required and less training! so for drivers and other staff to work their rest days is cheaper than employing another full time member of staff permenantly!
and also you measure worth across the industry and FCC aren't the best payers across all grades, as have heard several revenue handing applications forms into TfL and drivers thinking of walking down the corridor to NXEC! for instant payrises

I have also been in industrys where 0% payrises were the norm but our last 2 year deal worked in the companys favour as ended up being below inflation rate and London drivers lost their London Weighting so the pay rise wasn't as good for us.

 

[73110]

was the 3% with t&c included or 3% no strings.

3% with a list of conditions. There is something on the wall at Brighton I believe so I imagine there will be something at Bedford and Blackfriars.

 

[ivanhoe]

I will repeat what I said when there was a similar'dispute at EMT. Our railways are a 7 day a week operation and both sides should be sitting down together to thrash this one out so such situations do not arise in the future.

I am sure that FCC are no angels in this dispute but it needs sorting. I find the situation that Sunday is voluntary working a bit strange to say the least! Clearly more staff would be needed and drivers et al would have to get use to either little or no overtime. Is that what they want ? Or is it really about the size of the pay award on offer?

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Having read through this thread, it is clear to me who is to blame for this mess.

The staff.

Staff who believe they are entitled to something they are not always going to get. I personally got a 13p an hour wage increase this year. I thought nothing of it as I didn't expect anything at all.

I will agree that it is ridiculous that it appears to be a rail industry standard that sunday work is voluntary - proper management of this would never lead to such a situation.

BUT it is important to note that, yet again, the passengers are the ones who are having to put up with the attitude of a few people who are supposed to be providing a service. I am not a passenger on the FCC route. But I imagine that, if i were and i was trying to get somewhere today, I would be entombed with furious rage that I was not able to get where I was going. 100% of that rage would be directed at drivers whose petulant attitude has led to it - not the company who refuse to give them a pay rise during a recession......a period in which the country is actually in DEFLATION. If anything, pay CUTS can't be ruled out.

Let me put it this way. Last week I had to pay twice as much as normal to get a package delivered because of the royal mail strike. I was not upset with royal mail, i was upset with their pathetic staff. I live in Leeds. Currently the binmen (sorry, refuse collectors) are on strike. The mess in some parts of Leeds is indescribable. Even our bin was full of maggots after not having a collection for 3 weeks. I'm not angry at Leeds City council for refusing to cave in to their demands, i'm angry at the binmen who think they can hold a city full of 750,000 people to ransom.

Here is a clear message to any pathetic, petulant people who want to have a strike or deliberately make life difficult for the average person who is just trying to get on with his/her day.

There are thousands of people who will happily step into your job. If you are not happy with your job, quit. Then, in 6 months time when you are still queuing outside the job centre vainly trying to find something else as you edge slowly towards bankruptcy, have a little think about how important it is to prove your point by making everyone else miserable.

Right now, no-one cares that you have not been given your 1% pay rise or whatever it is. So get over yourselves.

 

[EM2]

There are so many things wrong with the above post, that I don't even know where to start.

 

[SWT Driver]

I won't lower myself give it the response he's trying to provoke! :roll:

 

[upyourjunction]

Usual crud you'd expect from a Daily Mail reading moron! 13p an hour increase Ha its probably more than he's worth. Thats why we're in a union pal to annoy prats like you!

 

[turbo mick]

Sundays are not part of working week or restdays with drivers working for first group end of story if papers or anyone can say what they like Drivers not in the wrong

 

[asylumxl]

Unions, for the workers?! Never have I heard such diatribe. Unions play with workers to aid their political ends.

And I do agree with him regarding the drivers treatment of the customers. We are NOT customers, we are people, we NEED to use the trains they drive, they are a providing us a service. A little consideration at the expense of a payrise would be nice.

He's right about others wanting the job. Plenty of people on this site alone would jump at the chance for such a job at lower pay than the drivers receive.

Is someone going to reply telling me that the whole situation is justified? That we should jump on another, short-formed train and roll with the punches? We shouldn't have to roll with the punches. We pay through the nose for these trains! Is it much to ask for a proper service?

 

[royaloak]

So how many hours a week do you work!
If your boss looked round to you and said that as they were short staffed you were working your days off that week and the next month (whether you wanted to or not) you wouldn't mind would you. oh and you would only get paid flat rate for it as well.
When will people get it in their thick heads that the only thing the drivers are doing wrong is not working overtime, which the last time I looked was voluntary.

 

[First ScotRail]

The HR system at First is now very centrally based, with alot of control now at group level, I dont know if this will help.

They also dont have a set FCC HR Director, they have a Head of HR (London) which covers FCC, FGBRF, and the buses, I dont think this would have helped, HR is now very FIRST GROUP based, rather than individual companies, if I remember correctly?

 

[Greenback]

Unions, for the workers?! Never have I heard such diatribe. Unions play with workers to aid their political ends.

And I do agree with him regarding the drivers treatment of the customers. We are NOT customers, we are people, we NEED to use the trains they drive, they are a providing us a service. A little consideration at the expense of a payrise would be nice.

He's right about others wanting the job. Plenty of people on this site alone would jump at the chance for such a job at lower pay than the drivers receive.

Is someone going to reply telling me that the whole situation is justified? That we should jump on another, short-formed train and roll with the punches? We shouldn't have to roll with the punches. We pay through the nose for these trains! Is it much to ask for a proper service?

Yes. Why not ask the company why they have treated their staff in such a way as to force them to withdraw their goodwill? Why not ask the company why you 'pay through the nose'? Might it be to help pay an extra 10% to shareholders this year, not to mention Lockhead's perks, pension and salary while refusing to give even a small increase to the staff? And it is the company that are supposed to be providing a service, they should be employing sufficient drivers so that large amounts of Rest Day Working and overtime aren't necessary. But they don't want to do that as it would cost them more money! Th drivers are simply exercising their contractual right not to work Sundays, and its the employer who needs to sort this out.

Finally, why do people think that anyone who becomes a driver would be happy to work for less money? There are a lot of wannabes who simply don;t have the necessary skills and would not pass the course. Those that do pass and have the aptitude deserve tobe well rewarded.