RMT Industrial Action Update to members

[father_jack]

Posted for info and for (hopefully) civil discussion.....................

From Michael Lynch today-

28th February 2024

To All RMT Members at: AVANTI WEST COAST; C2C, CHILTERN RAILWAYS, CROSS COUNTRY, EAST MIDLANDS RAILWAY, GOVIA THAMESLINK RAILWAY, GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY, GREATER ANGLIA, LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY, NORTHERN TRAINS, SE TRAINS, SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY, TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS, WEST MIDLANDS TRAINS

Dear RMT Member,

WORKFORCE REFORMS (2023 PAY NEGOTIATIONS) - TRAIN OPERATING COMPANIES

As part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was accepted by members in a referendum last year regarding Defend Jobs, Pay & Conditions - Train Operating Companies, it was agreed that TOCs would present specific Workforce Reforms proposals and commence 2023 Pay negotiations from week commencing 5th February 2024.

This morning, I received an update from all RMT Lead Officers in respect of the 14 Company's involved.
Even at this early stage, it is clear that none of the Companies have properly set out the workforce reforms which they wish to propose. Each company has a list of changes including Station Operations, Flexibility, Sick Pay, Allowances etc but there is a severe lack of detail on the impact or benefit that these changes would bring about. Only one company has tabled any form of pay offer for 2023 and this, in its current form, is unacceptable to the Union.

The Union will of course now continue these talks at each Company, hopefully without political interference, and with the aim of receiving a fair and genuine set of proposals and an accompanying 2023 pay offer which meets the aspirations of you and your colleagues.

I will keep you advised of all developments collectively and also at your individual Train Operating Company.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Lynch
General Secretary

In addition, this is doing the rounds on twitter (warning - be advised that it contains some bad language):

EXCLUSIVE! Northern rail staff incandescent at “insulting” DfT offer to RMT: “F*ck them bunch of c*nts, I’d tell them to shove their job up their a*sehole”. — Railway books and calendars

RMT members working for train operator Northern have told Chime Whistle Publishing that strikes are inevitable if the operator – at the behest of Government – tries to push through its proposed reforms – some staff saying that it's not even worth the union putting the reforms to a ballot. Since the

www.chimewhistle.co.uk

This is doing the rounds on the interweb.....


RMT members working for train operator Northern have told Chime Whistle Publishing that strikes are inevitable if the operator – at the behest of Government – tries to push through its proposed reforms – some staff saying that it's not even worth the union putting the reforms to a ballot. Since the pandemic, the Government has been paying all the running costs of most train operators, keeping the revenue and paying train operators a small management fee.

The ‘Workforce Reforms Proposal’ includes the paragraph : ‘The former BR Conditions of Service books are to be jointly reviewed with any former conditions of service that have not already been withdrawn or superseded to be rescinded unless they are agreed to be retained and updated to align with modern and more agile working practice’ and hints at a reduction on ticket office staff by saying there will be a ‘Reconfiguration of Ticket Office Windows and Staffing Levels.’

Staff say that if an agreement can't be reached by April, it will go to avoidance of dispute – having until the end of May to reach to reach an agreement. One Manchester based Northern guard said “I think we will be on strike again in August or September” , adding fellow guards have told him “**** them bunch of ****s, I'd tell hem to shove their job up their arsehole”. The proposals include conditions that, according to RMT members, have “hard red lines that the union just couldn't and wouldn't accept.”

Some of the proposals that have caused the most distress include a reduction in sick pay from six months full followed by six months half pay, to three months at 90% followed by three months at 45% – one guard remarking that such conditions would result in staff having to “choose between our health and the roof over our heads” adding “I would have to save up to go sick.”

Morale at the operator is already near rock bottom, with staff saying that since last month there has been an exodus of train crews staff from Manchester Piccadilly – Northern will have lost approximately 30 guards and 40 drivers by April. Most are staying within the industry and moving to TransPennine Express or Avanti West Coast. Working conditions on some Northern routes around Manchester are thought to have also played a part, with a woman Northern guard being viciously attacked recently – suffering a number of fractures.

Tucked away in the proposals is a plan to extend the 'contact out of working hours' clause, According to staff that could see staff on a rest day being called in at short notice to cover a job. As one said “What happens if you're in the supermarket shopping or the other end of the country visiting relatives?” When asked about the implications of the independent Hidden report that was produced following the Clapham crash in 1988 – where a signal engineer was found to have worked excessive hours without a day off – a guard replied “one or two managers across the industry as a whole have told me that the Hidden report is only advisory”.

Ticket office and platform staff will be expected to surrender leave entitlement to additional bank holidays – such as Easter Tuesday, Spring bank Tuesday – the proposals saying ‘There will be no entitlement to paid time off for additional bank holidays named by the government in addition to the 8 statutory bank holidays and no entitlement to enhanced payments for working on such days – and remain at work for an additional hour after the official end of their shift should there be disruption on the rail network.

Northern would like all current dispatchers in the Manchester area to be area dispatchers. This would be specific to the Manchester area and would cover dispatch roles at Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road & Salford Crescent. This would allow Northern to have better cover & flexibility at dispatch locations.

Most train operators are expected to commence talks with the RMT on 13 Match, but staff I've spoken with say they are “very suspicious”, believing that train operators, at he behest of the DfT will present the RMT with near identical terms and conditions for each operator – a back door way of getting an agreement for national terms and conditions , something that the Government has been eager to achieve since the start of industrial action.

 

[KM1991]

Posted for info and for (hopefully) civil discussion.....................

From Michael Lynch today-

If the article regarding Northern is accurate then there is next to no chance of a deal being agreed. Nearly all of those conditions are completely unacceptable.

Change of government badly needed.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

And so the games begin. Again.

They've had 2 months to put together a plan, or a list of things they would like to implement. Yet the TOCs seemingly have nothing to work off.

What's the point in us (Guards) agreeing to have 3 months of talking if the Gov/DfT/RDG aren't even going to engage?

At least there will be no industrial action until April, but it's hard to not see another summer of discontent and disruption currently.

 

[dk1]

And so the games begin. Again.

They've had 2 months to put together a plan, or a list of things they would like to implement. Yet the TOCs seemingly have nothing to work off.

What's the point in us (Guards) agreeing to have 3 months of talking if the Gov/DfT/RDG aren't even going to engage?

At least there will be no industrial action until April, but it's hard to not see another summer of discontent and disruption currently.

I think most of us saw this happening.

 

[ainsworth74]

I think most of us saw this happening.

It was a pleasant interregnum whilst it lasted though at least?

 

[Snow1964]

Change of government badly needed.

Or the workers need to put forward a set of proposals and changes that benefits both sides.

There are 2 sides to everything, if can't make it work from top, then alternative is bottom rung needs to take the initiative.

It's the 21st Century not some 18th century feudal system where workers don't get a say. And getting a say isn't just being negative and not working, these days can be any anyone contacting the initiatives and suggestion mailbox

 

[dk1]

It was a pleasant interregnum whilst it lasted though at least?

I wouldn’t know personally, we have never not been in dispute

 

[brad465]

If the election is in May (as some indications suggest), then any industrial action will probably not happen, as Parliament is dissolved and it won't be considered a matter that can be resolved in that time. Of course the RMT could easily fail to realise this and just strike anyway, but they did call off action during the Queen's mourning period and when advanced negotiations were taking place, so they may have sense in such a scenario.

If however the election is in Autumn then yes the TOCs won't do anything about it and the RMT will likely pursue striking all the way.

 

[ainsworth74]

I wouldn’t know personally, we have never not been in dispute

Ha fair point!

 

[Towers]

Some degree of hyperbole in there, I feel. From the article:

“Tucked away in the proposals is a plan to extend the 'contact out of working hours' clause, According to staff that could see staff on a rest day being called in at short notice to cover a job. As one said “What happens if you're in the supermarket shopping or the other end of the country visiting relatives?”

TOCs will not be summoning people to come in and work enforced overtime midway through their day off, no matter what set of plans might be adopted! But the general theme is, overall, completely as everyone expected. Pretty bleak.

 

[43066]

Or the workers need to put forward a set of proposals and changes that benefits both sides.

There are 2 sides to everything, if can't make it work from top, then alternative is bottom rung needs to take the initiative.

It's the 21st Century not some 18th century feudal system where workers don't get a say. And getting a say isn't just being negative and not working, these days can be any anyone contacting the initiatives and suggestion mailbox

What does any of this actually mean with reference to the current dispute?!

 

[Dogbox]

At least RMT members got some backpay before Christmas, as for some aslef members its 5 years and counting. Lets hope a Labour government can sort this mess out, I won't hold my breath though!!

 

[43066]

I wouldn’t know personally, we have never not been in dispute

Seems very quiet on our side…

 

[dk1]

Seems very quiet on our side…

Nothing has changed & no meeting of minds even planned from what I can see mate.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Strangely, at a local business leaders meeting, the hospitality industry were benefitting from strike days, as people were staying local and spending what they would have on train fare on local food and drink instead. Obviously it might be impacting bigger places people would have travelled to, but overall the hospitality spend is up so there's huge support for more, and longer, rail strikes from local businesses-just not for the reasons the unions want! Any party at an election that commits to not resolving the strike will get a lot of local business support.

Since the cancellation of HS2 our town council has purchased two empty buildings in town with the aim of redeveloping them into nighttime venues. But, of course, they don't have the funding for that and are looking to the business town partnership for financial support-who are only interested if striking continues and hospitality business keeps going. It's a perverse situation. But rail strikes are really helping our town to thrive.

 

[northwichcat]

"There will be no entitlement to paid time off for additional bank holidays named by the government in addition to the 8 statutory bank holidays"

While I understand it would be nice to have some clarity for the rare occasions when additional bank holidays are called, we probably won't see any until King Charles dies. I seem to recall Theresa May's government moving a bank holiday so it fell on VE Day, instead of calling an extra one for the anniversary. Most workers don't have that clarity in their contracts, so if one is called the railways need to plan for a normal service on those days.

Strangely, at a local business leaders meeting, the hospitality industry were benefitting from strike days, as people were staying local and spending what they would have on train fare on local food and drink instead.

The working from home/hybrid working trend has meant fewer people are working 5 days a week in small towns. This has significantly affected the trade of cafes and the like, as they no longer have a large number of workers coming in for lunches. It's not affected the trade in larger towns and cities as much as there's more centrally located businesses, even if the average workspace per business has decreased.

 

[Deafdoggie]

The working from home/hybrid working trend has meant fewer people are working 5 days a week in small towns. This has significantly affected the trade of cafes and the like, as they no longer have a large number of workers coming in for lunches. It's not affected the trade in larger towns and cities as much as there's more centrally located businesses, even if the average workspace per business has decreased

It has helped us. WFH means people often pop in with their laptop for an hour or so to grab a coffee and bite to eat instead of sitting at home all day (we're an easy commute for Birmingham) And it's these people who then have a night out and stay local instead of going into Birmingham as they did when the trains ran.

 

[greyman42]

If the article regarding Northern is accurate then there is next to no chance of a deal being agreed. Nearly all of those conditions are completely unacceptable.

Change of government badly needed.

Government's are not changed merely on a dispute with the RMT. There are much more important things to consider.

 

[cactustwirly]

Personally I don't see much wrong with what Northern are proposing. How many people actually spend more than 3 months on sick anyway?

The only thing that I disagree with is the clause that you can be called on your day off, which is wrong.

I think the flexibility of dispatchers being able to work from different stations is a good thing, but obviously the extra distance needs to be capped, asking to move from Piccadilly to Victoria is completely different to being asked to go to Leeds or Blackpool

 

[father_jack]

Personally I don't see much wrong with what Northern are proposing. How many people actually spend more than 3 months on sick anyway?

Say you break your leg ? Develop cancer ? Mental health issues ?

 

[43066]

Personally I don't see much wrong with what Northern are proposing

Easy to say when it isn’t your private and family life that will be affected.

How many people actually spend more than 3 months on sick anyway?

Anyone who gets cancer, for example?

Government's are not changed merely on a dispute with the RMT. There are much more important things to consider.

There are plenty of reasons why this government needs to be changed. Allowing an improvement in the railway’s position is just one of them.

 

[185143]

Personally I don't see much wrong with what Northern are proposing. How many people actually spend more than 3 months on sick anyway?

The only thing that I disagree with is the clause that you can be called on your day off, which is wrong.

I think the flexibility of dispatchers being able to work from different stations is a good thing, but obviously the extra distance needs to be capped, asking to move from Piccadilly to Victoria is completely different to being asked to go to Leeds or Blackpool

Either that, or the travelling time to be included within a dispatchers shift.

So someone based at Oxford Road working an 8 hour shift may well be asked to cover at Blackpool (assuming they're signed off to dispatch there), but they book on and off at Oxford Road and travel to Blackpool and back within the company's time?

 

[ainsworth74]

Personally I don't see much wrong with what Northern are proposing. How many people actually spend more than 3 months on sick anyway?

We should be strengthening sick pay provision in this country not weakening it. And as others have pointed out it's quite possible to sick from work for far longer than three months.

 

[dk1]

We should be strengthening sick pay provision in this country not weakening it. And as others have pointed out it's quite possible to sick from work for far longer than three months.

As we see time and time again from some on this forum, if they don’t get it they feel nobody else should either. A very odd outlook on life.

 

[northwichcat]

We should be strengthening sick pay provision in this country not weakening it. And as others have pointed out it's quite possible to sick from work for far longer than three months.

It's not reasonable to expect employers to be able to pay out sick leave for an unlimited period of time. If they do they'll have a huge insurance bill, which will go under their payroll costs. At some point state support has to take over. All full time employees pay National Insurance, so it's not unreasonable to expect something back from it before you retire.

 

[43066]

It's not reasonable to expect employers to be able to pay out sick leave for an unlimited period of time

That isn’t the case at Northern currently
(they get 6months full pay and 6 months half, which isn’t anything unusual), and nobody has suggested it should be paid for an unlimited period of time, so how is the statement above relevant to the discussion!?

 

[northwichcat]

Mental health issues ?

A lot of long term mental health issues are due to them not being addressed at the earliest opportunity. It's a bit like a nose bleed doesn't need someone to call an ambulance, but if it isn't stopped then you lose a lot of blood and it becomes an emergency. Having suitable employee support* and doing everything to ensure employees with issues use it, would be more beneficial.

* Unfortunately, this means a private arrangement with a company like AXA, as waiting lists for NHS support for mental health issues will leave people waiting until it becomes a long term issue or an emergency.

 

[12LDA28C]

Strangely, at a local business leaders meeting, the hospitality industry were benefitting from strike days, as people were staying local and spending what they would have on train fare on local food and drink instead. Obviously it might be impacting bigger places people would have travelled to, but overall the hospitality spend is up so there's huge support for more, and longer, rail strikes from local businesses-just not for the reasons the unions want! Any party at an election that commits to not resolving the strike will get a lot of local business support.

Since the cancellation of HS2 our town council has purchased two empty buildings in town with the aim of redeveloping them into nighttime venues. But, of course, they don't have the funding for that and are looking to the business town partnership for financial support-who are only interested if striking continues and hospitality business keeps going. It's a perverse situation. But rail strikes are really helping our town to thrive.

I can't work out if this is supposed to be a joke or not. Do you really think that any political party would actively campaign on extending an ongoing industrial dispute? And what is the correlation between 'the cancellation of HS2' and your town council wanting to redevelop empty premises? The two events would appear to be completely unrelated unless the buildings were vacated due to being in the path of HS2 which now isn't happening in whatever part of the country you live in.

I'm sure rather more people would like to see an end to the dispute than a few people who are feeling some kind of benefit in provincial hospitality.

 

[Teds]

I assume current conditions on sick pay include retirement on ill health grounds after 12 months. That would seem to be normal in government employment.

Some managers may consider the Hidden report advisory but the HSE or RAIB will not if anything goes wrong. The consequences for the individual who rostered the member of staff for excessive hours could be very serious and almost certainly career ending. There was censure for a signalling supervisor who made a wrong decision about allowing a tractor onto a level crossing. It was suggested that he had worked too many hours for a person of his years. The way things seem to work these days, the manager who allowed that person to work excessive hours, would probably have been fired by the higher ups.

 

[12LDA28C]

It's not reasonable to expect employers to be able to pay out sick leave for an unlimited period of time. If they do they'll have a huge insurance bill, which will go under their payroll costs. At some point state support has to take over. All full time employees pay National Insurance, so it's not unreasonable to expect something back from it before you retire.

So statutory sick pay is sufficient to live on, is that what you're saying? If you can afford your mortgage, utility bills, food costs and other outgoings from £109.40 per week, I'd be keen to understand how.