Rail staff caught up in strikes

[ainsworth74]

Good luck in recruiting enough people then. A premium in salary is needed to afford the luxury of having an own car.

As was explained to you, at great length, in this thread, your views on the affordability of running a car are extremely skewed and not at all accurate. I would recommend reviewing it rather than persisting in this view that car ownership is somehow only something those on above average salaries can afford.

 

[Oli Harris]

Good luck in recruiting enough people then. A premium in salary is needed to afford the luxury of having an own car.

...or just good budgeting / "living within your means" (clearly a difficult / incomprehensible / impossible concept for very many people - including some on very good salaries = to grasp).

 

[Surreytraveller]

At central London depots yes, signallers at Victoria and London Bridge got / get nothing shanks pony I’m afraid.

But Signallers' shifts aren't as severe as Drivers', with the ability to get to and from work by train.
Drivers can start or finish in the middle of the night

 

[Llanigraham]

But Signallers' shifts aren't as severe as Drivers', with the ability to get to and from work by train.
Drivers can start or finish in the middle of the night

There are plenty of signallers with shift times that do not allow travel by train or bus, plus there are numerous signal boxes nowhere near stations or even bus routes.
I used to have the shift change at 0530.

 

[Stuart-h]

I'm a contrtactor for network rail. Public transport is a bit of a bummer as well - were most of the time accessing the network no where near a bus route and or a station.

 

[Signal_Box]

But Signallers' shifts aren't as severe as Drivers', with the ability to get to and from work by train.
Drivers can start or finish in the middle of the night

I’m fully aware of the 0216, 0344, 0402,0553, 0601 and everything in between book on and offs.

However, driver (TOC) turns are generally limited to 10-11hrs maximum and even then you’ll not be doing a week of those turns of length.

Signallers work 12hr turns full stop, it’s no joke doing a heavy 12hr turn then having to mess about with a commute out of London, the taxi arrangement is worth its weight gold. Also parking there is very little staff parking at central London or even city centre locations these days.

 

[Surreytraveller]

There are plenty of signallers with shift times that do not allow travel by train or bus, plus there are numerous signal boxes nowhere near stations or even bus routes.
I used to have the shift change at 0530.

Within Cental London, where boxes are staffed 24/7. Plenty of bus routes, and shifts are not starting in the middle of the night in such locations

 

[king_walnut]

I mean the answer is quite simple isn't it?

When you have your interview they ask "how would you get to work in times of significant disruption?" and if you say "I couldn't" then you don't get the job.

 

[dk1]

I mean the answer is quite simple isn't it?

When you have your interview they ask "how would you get to work in times of significant disruption?" and if you say "I couldn't" then you don't get the job.

I couldn’t get into work at my booked start time of 06:30 as the first train didn’t arrive until 06:35. I was told by a senior manager before my interview to lie through my teeth as all staff came in on that one. Got the job thanks to that

 

[Signal_Box]

I couldn’t get into work at my booked start time of 06:30 as the first train didn’t arrive until 06:35. I was told by a senior manager before my interview to lie through my teeth as all staff came in on that one. Got the job thanks to that

Until a change in management renders that option unavailable.

The book on time is XXXX be there for that time or your booked late for duty and suffer the potential disciplinary action.

Ultimately it’s not fair on those who do make it in right time.

 

[dk1]

Until a change in management renders that option unavailable.

The book on time is XXXX be there for that time or your booked late for duty and suffer the potential disciplinary action.

Ultimately it’s not fair on those who do make it in right time.

Nah it was absolutely fine. Good old BR days.

They just chip off early later on & those who came in later see the job out.

 

[winks]

Our company... we can't get in or out we are told to take unpaid leave. Quite frankly we might've stayed on strike

To be honest this is why I posed the question. Had I taken a railway job just before the strikes began, I’d be taking unpaid leave probably around 10 days or so !

 

[Bill57p9]

Ultimately it is up to employees to fathom out how they are going to commute. However any employer that values their employees will give a little leeway to pop-up issues be they personal emergencies, travel disruption, etc, etc.

Until a change in management renders that option unavailable.

The book on time is XXXX be there for that time or your booked late for duty and suffer the potential disciplinary action.

Ultimately it’s not fair on those who do make it in right time.

Or something goes wrong. See Quintinshill disaster for details…

 

[dk1]

To be honest this is why I posed the question. Had I taken a railway job just before the strikes began, I’d be taking unpaid leave probably around 10 days or so !

You wouldn’t be able to take unpaid leave as traincrew unless cover was available.

 

[Llanigraham]

Within Cental London, where boxes are staffed 24/7. Plenty of bus routes, and shifts are not starting in the middle of the night in such locations

Within Central London possibly, but as has to be pointed out, and which you are ignoring, there are hundreds of signallers around the country that are 24/7 who are totally unable to use public transport to get to their Boxes.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Im

Within Central London possibly, but as has to be pointed out, and which you are ignoring, there are hundreds of signallers around the country that are 24/7 who are totally unable to use public transport to get to their Boxes.

I'm not ignoring anything. I was discussing about staff who work in central London.

 

[infobleep]

If staff have nothing that they can't do at home, going to their place of work is only needlessly polluting the atmosphere even more, if they have to use nongreen methods of transport to reach work.

 

[dk1]

If staff have nothing that they can't do at home, going to their place of work is only needlessly polluting the atmosphere even more, if they have to use nongreen methods of transport to reach work.

I can’t imagine many companies worry about such things. I’ve never heard of it.

 

[infobleep]

I can’t imagine many companies worry about such things. I’ve never heard of it.

I'm sure they don't worry but if they are so interested in net zero, then they should be doing something.

Perhaps they don't care about net zero.

 

[dk1]

I'm sure they don't worry but if they are so interested in net zero, then they should be.

Perhaps they don't care about net zero.

To be honest it’s not something that ever gets a mention and never has in the almost 39 years I’ve been employed on the railway.

 

[Dstock7080]

TfL are now starting to withdraw car parking spaces and suggesting Staff use public transport or staff taxi services instead.
Acton Works, Acton Town (District) are the first to have facilities withdrawn from 1 October 2023.

 

[158747]

I'm sure they don't worry but if they are so interested in net zero, then they should be doing something.

Perhaps they don't care about net zero.

Why should the railway companies care about net zero, it is the government who are obsessed with net zero, not the railway companies.

 

[Fleetmaster]

What costs a fully privatised TOC more, I wonder?

1. Cancel all your services and take the hit

2. Pay for taxis for every single worker to fulfil their booked shift.

 

[12LDA28C]

What costs a fully privatised TOC more, I wonder?

1. Cancel all your services and take the hit

2. Pay for taxis for every single worker to fulfil their booked shift.

Cancelling all services, of course. Not that that would ever happen. Not everybody needs a taxi to attend the workplace.

 

[Towers]

TfL are now starting to withdraw car parking spaces and suggesting Staff use public transport or staff taxi services instead.
Acton Works, Acton Town (District) are the first to have facilities withdrawn from 1 October 2023.

Utterly ridiculous. Would suggest it may bite them in the arse.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Utterly ridiculous. Would suggest it may bite them in the arse.

Perhaps management don't realise the railway operates on a shift basis where staff need to travel outside the hours that the railway operates.
And surely staff taxis are less environmentally friendly as the vehicle would need to travel in both directions, plus from where the taxi driver lives as well

 

[greatkingrat]

I think staff would only get a taxi in one direction and be expected to use public transport in the other direction, as only one end of the shift will be at unsociable hours.