Posted 14th March 2011 | 3 Comments

More disruption feared on London Midland

MORE disruption is feared on the London Midland network, after just three routes saw trains on Sunday as the result of a pay dispute between the company and the drivers’ union ASLEF.

The core issue is that Sunday working is not compulsory. Two years ago, London Midland increased Sunday pay to double-time, to attract more volunteers.

Now the company has said that this level is ‘not sustainable’, and a reduction in pay has caused a ‘silent protest’ by drivers. They have simply failed to agree to work any Sunday shifts – which are not included in their contracts.

Although most services have been running again today, some disruption was still being reported in the Birmingham area, and there are warnings of more to follow, particularly on the Birmingham New Street lines on Thursday and Friday. (See chart, below.)

Other LM trains were being delayed today by signal failures at Northampton and Sutton Coldfield, which affected some Euston and Birmingham Cross City line services.

Meanwhile, the company is also coming under fire for its plans to close ticket offices at some stations and slim down its workforce by losing more than 100 jobs with a combination of redundancies and leaving posts unfilled.

West Midlands Labour MP Jim Cunningham, whose constituency is Coventry South, has proposed an Early Day Motion in the Commons calling on London Midland to think again, asking his fellow MPs to confirm that they are ‘appalled’ by its plans.


London Midland has set out the prospects for the week like this:

Red significant potential disruption
Amber possible disruption at certain times of day
Green minor or no disruption

Date

Euston lines

Birmingham NS lines

Snow Hill lines

Mon 14 March

Green

Amber

Green

Tues 15 March

Green

Amber

Green

Wed 16 March

Green

Green

Amber

Thurs 17 March

Green

Red

Green

Fri 18 March

Green

Red

Amber

Sat 19 March

Amber

Amber

Amber

Sun 20 March

Green

Green

Green
 

 

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • bob Mac, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    it seems as though its six of one, half a dozen of the the other as to who are the most incompetent, self serving and pig-headed element to running the current situation between LM and the Unions. But I am one of the customers that this inept company and ancient union are inconveniencing week in and week out with your strikes and frankly weak service. Currently my wife and I are paying for a seven day rail pass we are presently getting only 6 days thanks to strikes and having to use the bus on numerous occasions because of engineering, power failures, lack of staff or 101 other lame and pointless excuses and quite frankly I am sick to death of having to pander to overpaid button pushers, inept managers and people who just don’t seem to care on a service that continually stops me getting to and from work..really 40k a year for a job that could be automated out of existence

    If your union members don’t like working on Sundays - tough, I would just fire them and be done with it - people are crying out for jobs, no matter what they are, i am sure you could get very good enthusiastic staff for the current amount the drivers and guards are on. LM run a customer driven business and essentially they are shooting yourself in the foot by pandering to striking drivers, we as the general public have little to no sympathy to the cause we all both in the private and public sector are taking cuts, austerity measures and being thankful that we have jobs, really being a train driver or conductor requires little or no qualifications (apart it seems looking unkempt, rude and being able to read the Sun every morning) you should, like I am be thankful to have a job in the current climate and should be thankful that current Union members have a position and steady income as a lot of people are in not such a lucky position.

  • Llion Jones, Aberdare

    They need to be greatfull that they are in work, £40000 a year is a fab sum of money, I dont think i would strike over £40000 a year, so waht they dont get payed asmuch for sunday work, It wouldnt bother me, if I enjoyed their job I would just do it for time and a half. They need to be cearfull that they dont automate trains, TOCs dont want this but if strikes are going to become more fequent I can see this happening. LU drivers are lucky, but if cameron had his way he would get rid of them.

  • philip russell, carlisle, united kingdom

    ASLEF to its credit has been more open to change and less eager to resort to strike action than the RMT has in recent years but as the recent fare rise outrage proved the travelling public of which a significant number may be on minimum wage or benefits, do not have a bottomless purse to boost the coffers of allready well paid drivers