Greater Anglia recruiting for qualified drivers (again)

[dk1]

You won’t find much of a laid back lifestyle being based at Norwich. Like all TOCs they want their monies worth out of you. Some very packed out diagrams & although working with a guard, doors are the drivers responsibility with 745/755s.

 

[Class2ldn]

I don't know if you sign the MML , wouldn't EMR be good for you. Obviously not if you are relocating to Norfolk , but generally.

Not for where I live unfortunately too much travel for me

You won’t find much of a laid back lifestyle being based at Norwich. Like all TOCs they want their monies worth out of you. Some very packed out diagrams & although working with a guard, doors are the drivers responsibility with 745/755s.

Well im doo now so thats not ideal.
I assume there quite a few trips to Yarmouth and lowestoft in 1 diagram lol

 

[dk1]

Not for where I live unfortunately too much travel for me


Well im doo now so thats not ideal.
I assume there quite a few trips to Yarmouth and lowestoft in 1 diagram lol

The East Suffolk link which covers local routes are often early starts & late finishes with Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Sheringham, East Suffolk & Felixstowes. They cover some main line work between Norwich & Ipswich as well as quite a lot of night shifts.

 

[Class2ldn]

Yeah see nights im not a fan off, is there much work on nights or is it mostly preps?

 

[dk1]

Yeah see nights im not a fan off, is there much work on nights or is it mostly preps?

Lots of trips to/from Crown Point Depot & prepping. The worst one has an ECS to Ipswich on the end at 05:50. It’s a 30 week roster with what looks like 6 weeks of night turns.

 

[Class2ldn]

So basically nights every 5 weeks or so? That's a lot

 

[dk1]

So basically nights every 5 weeks or so? That's a lot

It reduces when you move up links into IC2. Thankfully I’m in IC1 so do none at all

 

[Class2ldn]

How long has it taken you to get there?

 

[dk1]

It took around 13 years I think.

Norwich doesn’t have that huge a turnover of drivers compared to many depots. It’s a quality place to live & not much in the way of competing TOCs or FOCs nearby.

Also it comes under Anglia Railways T&Cs.

 

[Class2ldn]

It took around 13 years I think.

Norwich doesn’t have that huge a turnover of drivers compared to many depots. It’s a quality place to live & not much in the way of competing TOCs or FOCs nearby.

Also it comes under Anglia Railways T&Cs.

Whats the terms and conditions? I like Norwich City and the surrounding areas are pretty good too but nights every 5 weeks would ruin me I think lol

 

[dk1]

Whats the terms and conditions? I like Norwich City and the surrounding areas are pretty good too but nights every 5 weeks would ruin me I think lol

Just that we come under Anglia Railways as apposed to West Anglia or Great Eastern T&Cs as was in 2004. They’d be too much to mention here & id probably forget much of it.

 

[Class2ldn]

No worries thanks for your help

 

[Nflkrail]

If you join and go into the entry level link, which most start off with for 2-5yrs depending on progression, it's 1 in 4 weekly nights, which is a killer tbh

 

[dk1]

If you join and go into the entry level link, which most start off with for 2-5yrs depending on progression, it's 1 in 4 weekly nights, which is a killer tbh

Which depot is that please?

 

[Nflkrail]

Your depot!

 

[dk1]

Your depot!

Oh I see. It was entry level link that through me lol

 

[Nflkrail]

Oh I see. It was entry level link that through me lol

Sorry, East Suffolk link

 

[Class2ldn]

Yeah sod that for a box of soldiers, my nights are every 13 weeks, every 4 is a joke tbh, how can they justify that and more to the point how do aslef agree to it, complete joke that is.

 

[Nflkrail]

It is. Everywhere else it's depot drivers. But at Norwich there's more drivers on nights than depot drivers!

 

[Class2ldn]

Yeah thats ridiculous, oh well maybe we won't relocate to Norfolk then lol.

 

[dk1]

It’s certainly not laid back or easy going in Norfolk for sure haha!!

 

[martin2345uk]

Blimey that’s even more nights than I do as a freight driver!

 

[Andypandy1968]

Blimey that’s even more nights than I do as a freight driver!

But the west anglia drivers love them hence they keep voting against a pay rise and subsequent much earlier shifts in favour of keeping their nights! You really can't make it up!

 

[dk1]

But the west anglia drivers love them hence they keep voting against a pay rise and subsequent much earlier shifts in favour of keeping their nights! You really can't make it up!

I suppose that keeps those horrible pre-05:00 starts away.

 

[Andypandy1968]

I suppose that keeps those horrible pre-05:00 starts away.

I suppose, but that extra 6 to 7 k per year would come in handy paying drivers increased energy bills, petrol, council tax etc etc etc would it not? And if you can't get to work before 5 then maybe shiftwork isn't for them?

 

[dk1]

I suppose, but that extra 6 to 7 k per year would come in handy paying drivers increased energy bills, petrol, council tax etc etc etc would it not? And if you can't get to work before 5 then maybe shiftwork isn't for them?

It was the other parts of the second harmonisation package that upset so many in 2019. It was a massive NO vote of something like 98% from what I recall. I don’t hear from many who regret voting against it.

 

[Twobells]

But the west anglia drivers love them hence they keep voting against a pay rise and subsequent much earlier shifts in favour of keeping their nights! You really can't make it up!

We do not vote against a deal based on night shifts. They are not loved by all.
We have an extensive list of favourable T&Cs on the west that they try and wipe out with every pay deal negotiation. The other parts of GA have sold out a lot of their decent terms a long time ago.

It was the other parts of the second harmonisation package that upset so many in 2019. It was a massive NO vote of something like 98% from what I recall. I don’t hear from many who regret voting against it.

92% no vote. Harmonisation deal on offer was terrible. Pretty much wiped out all current terms and put in a new set for all. No negotiation, here’s what we want, here’s the price. Take it or leave it.

 

[dk1]

92% no vote. Harmonisation deal on offer was terrible. Pretty much wiped out all current terms and put in a new set for all. No negotiation, here’s what we want, here’s the price. Take it or leave it.

And why we left it.

 

[Twobells]

And why we left it.

Exactly! a lot of people outside of GA only hear we rejected a deal. don’t understand why or the fact it wasn’t actually a negotiation.
We didn’t sell ourselves short! No one I know regrets the decision even a little.

 

[dk1]

Exactly! a lot of people outside of GA only hear we rejected a deal. don’t understand why or the fact it wasn’t actually a negotiation.
We didn’t sell ourselves short! No one I know regrets the decision even a little. Covid could not have been predicted so doesn’t make a valid argument which is something people keep saying also.

It couldn’t have been foreseen as you say. It’s just one of those things. I see pay talks are planned for next Tuesday.