Tom Quinne
On Moderation
- Joined
- 8 Jul 2017
- Messages
- 2,225
Sunday’s in the working week at last ?
That’s going to cost a few bob, but it’ll be pensionable at least.
That’s going to cost a few bob, but it’ll be pensionable at least.
And right on cue....
SUNDAY WORKING, GUARDS – GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY
http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/members-updates/sunday-working-guards--great-western-railway090818/Our Ref: BR2/8/4
9th August 2018
Dear Colleague
SUNDAY WORKING, GUARDS – GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY
I write with regards to the above matter and to inform you that a meeting has been held at Head Office with your GWR Divisional Council Representatives, Lead Officer and National Officers to discuss the union’s negotiating position regarding the issues raised in the following resolution received from our Plymouth No 1 Branch:
“That this Plymouth No 1 Branch recognises that the GWR Guard Sunday enhancement payment is reaching its trial conclusion. Branch reiterates its position that Sunday Working Payments should include all grades that this Union represents and demands that any future talks should be inclusive of all grades.
Branch believes that a 1¾ payment with ‘no strings’ is a practical solution to solve the ongoing Sunday Working issue. Should there be no satisfactory outcome, then we urge the NEC to create a dispute situation between this Union and the GWR.
Branch is aware that the IET sets are operational and that the travelling public have not been happy with the absence of a buffet car/shop facility on board. We request that the NEC re-open talks about the inclusion of a buffet car/shop facility in line with the East Coast IET sets which will create a better service for passengers and a better and safer working environment for our members.”
Following conclusion of this meeting, the union’s National Executive Committee has again considered the matter and I have been instructed to negotiate a Sunday Working Agreement for all grades with Great Western Railway. Therefore, I am in the process of making the necessary arrangements for a meeting to be held and I will, of course, keep you fully advised on any further developments as and when they arise.
Best wishes.
Mick Cash
General Secretary
How?!Cancellations not as bad as usual today..except Cheltenham but apparently they are over 100 short tomorrow and ate begging staff to come in.
You missed out the middle paragraphs. They better show the RMTs starting position toward negotiations.
The RMTs announcement in full:
http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/members-updates/sunday-working-guards--great-western-railway090818/
So it's "Give us time and three quarters - no strings - for all grades not just guards, and retrofit buffets to the Class 80x, or we'll ballot for industrial action."
So remember folks, when GWR make a counter offer, or refuse the demands, and the RMT say they are negotiating in good faith with a TOC that is refusing to listen, this was the RMTs starting position.
Given your oft-mentioned dislike of GWR's management, you would probably regard whatever their opening position is as equally dogmatic and inflexible...
Not sure. Two GWR staff were discussing it on the table opposite me this morning. One of them read out the email GWR had sent them today begging anyone to work extra tomorrow.How?!
It's a bit more nuanced than that. Nothing but praise for the management's handling of the Tanya Davis incident. And I fully back the management to not allow the RMT to walk over them.
So don't pretend to know how I will 'probably regard' a particular issue.
It's always attack mode with you when it comes to any posts that you may perceive to be anti-GWR. Or if they're not (mine this time is anti-RMT) you'll leap to a supposition to suggest anti-GWR sentiment. Sometimes the sun isn't shining out of GWR management's fundament. Other times they have my backing. Try and understand the difference between black & white and shades of grey.
Whether or not the passengers want a buffet, or if the catering staff are unhappy pushing a trolley up and down the train (or indeed any other grades' working conditions and Sunday requirements), should be irrelevant to a negotiation on guards Sunday working.
There's no doubt in my mind that the RMTs demands are designed to manufacture a dispute and are not a starting point to negotiating in good faith.
Many
Cancellations not as bad as usual today..except Cheltenham but apparently they are over 100 short tomorrow and ate begging staff to come in.
There are also 3 cancelled services in each direction between Swansea and Paddington not even shown on Journey Check.
I think the point is clear - the fact there isn't already a thread about other TOCs with similar issues week in, week out, proves that there are individuals on this forum who take pleasure in targeting GWR for fairly common problems.
I certainly don’t take any pleasure from seeing passengers having to put up with cancellations weekend after weekend.I think the point is clear - the fact there isn't already a thread about other TOCs with similar issues week in, week out, proves that there are individuals on this forum who take pleasure in targeting GWR for fairly common problems.
I don't take any pleasure either, but the difference is that there are many members of this forum who are either regular users or staff of GWR than other TOCs affected in the same way. To try to give an example of a TOC that may be doing worse than GWR is a fine example of a "race to the bottom". Can we at least get at least a little bit behind the company and the staff in what it they are trying to achieve, which is to deliver the biggest upgrade in a couple of generations, in a culture vastly different from what happened 40 years ago. It was never going to be easy, however much one thinks it should be.I certainly don’t take any pleasure from seeing passengers having to put up with cancellations weekend after weekend.
The sooner this thread dies because things have improved on the GWR network the better. No one expects things to always be perfect but GWR have been regularly and consistently cancelling services at weekends for over a year now hence the length of the thread.
As I say let’s hope this thread dies because things have improved, something anyone who cares about the railways would want to see.
2 - Are Chiltern really having as many issues as GWR are having? Where lack of available traincrew and lack of available units has been an issue for over a year now.
I don't take any pleasure either, but the difference is that there are many members of this forum who are either regular users or staff of GWR than other TOCs affected in the same way. To try to give an example of a TOC that may be doing worse than GWR is a fine example of a "race to the bottom". Can we at least get at least a little bit behind the company and the staff in what it they are trying to achieve, which is to deliver the biggest upgrade in a couple of generations, in a culture vastly different from what happened 40 years ago. It was never going to be easy, however much one thinks it should be.
Are there any Train Managers (not conductors) based at Cheltenham, or are they all from other locations?