Posted 16th November 2009 | 11 Comments
‘Incensed’ FCC drivers start voting in strike ballot
ASLEF drivers at First Capital Connect are starting to vote on whether to take industrial action which could include all-out strikes, as a pay dispute continues. FCC Thameslink services were halved after drivers chose to work only their core shifts in protest at a proposed pay package. Meanwhile, FCC is apologising for not taking more decisive action from the beginning of the dispute, which is still unofficial.
The drivers are angry about the offer, which includes no rise at all from April 2009 and RPI+1% or 3% if this is greater, in April 2010. Drivers say they have co-operated this year to keep services going as the number of staff fell. This was caused partly by the withdrawal of some drivers for Class 377 training, but mainly because there are said to be some 30 vacancies at Thameslink depots, amounting to almost 10% of the workforce.
Most drivers have now withdrawn voluntary working, and FCC services on both the Thameslink and Great Northern routes have been disrupted for the past three weeks. Great Northern drivers did not work on Remembrance Sunday, and this proved to be a controversial move which has attracted considerable public and parliamentary criticism.
Their union ASLEF said its members had been ‘incensed’ by the pay offer, and it’s also rebuffing the criticism from MPs. General Secretary Keith Norman said he was ‘especially annoyed’ with the comments of transport minister Chris Mole in the House of Commons. “He laid into these drivers as being ‘irresponsible’, which is exactly what you’d expect from a Conservative. But he’s supposed to be Labour,” said Mr Norman.
FCC said it was recruiting more drivers: ’We have already taken on 38 more to facilitate the new Thameslink route timetable introduced earlier this year and we will have 20 more passing out in spring next year. The whole training programme takes a year to complete, and there are no short cuts.’
The company went on to apologise for not taking more decisive action earlier on: ‘We have always attempted to be open and honest with customers regardless of how tough the message may be. The situation has developed into significant disruption as a growing number of individuals increasingly withdrew from working rest days and overtime. In hindsight perhaps we should have assumed worse case scenario from the beginning. We apologise that the message we have communicated has fallen short and our reaction to unfolding events may have seemed reactive rather than proactive.’
The managing director of FCC Jim Morgan has been replaced by the head of FirstGroup rail division, Mary Grant. The ASLEF ballot will run until 9 December.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
A. Friend, st Albans
Can i just remind anybody who wants to ask FCC a question about ongoing events, can do so using their online meet the managers forum which will take place between (1-3 PM on 14/12/2009).The forum will be held by the senior managment team, the same ones who have been,lets say not forthcoming with the truth using spin and trying to make things look glossy .They will, given the chance insult your intelligents by trying to riddle out of the fact the problems that are occurring are solely down to bad managment and lack of foresight.
Scott Murray, Dunstable
This situation is entirely due to FCCs poor planning.
I have written to my MP to ask him to lobby FCC to compensate
for this massive and ongoing disruption to the lives of their customers.
I suggest others do also.
The fact they can cut 50% of their services saving themselves millions
but not offer a penny of compensation is scandalous.
John Hartill, Croydon
As a regular five day a week commuter on the Thameslink route to Farringdon for the last 5 years I would like to comment on the present situation at FCC.
I am not an angry commuter towards the drivers but I am an angry commuter towards FCC! Since they have taken over the franchise I have noticed that the service has become more crowded, trains have greater delays and their staff especially the revenue protection, have become more aggressive and rude.
I have had a long running argument via email and with the managers on forum days about running 4 coach trains at peak times which are extremely overcrowded to the extent of not being able to board the train.Some of the trains are so old and run-down with graffiti and scratchfiti and hardly any recognisable livery on the outside, but I know with the lack of rolling stock must be used! Yes I know that nearly all the 92 new 377 coaches have been delivered, but they are not enough only allowing new services to run and to maintain the existing services. What a good excuse for FCC by the way that Bombadiers were late in delivering these trains, but bad management that only at the last moment they scurried around to get replacements from other TOCs. Yes that is is it BAD MANAGEMENT all throughout FCC I think that the recent resignations and departures show this!
Yes I have sympathy for the drivers because I am sure that FCC treat them with the same disdain that they treat their customers - just as bottom line product!
a friend, luton, UK
Part of the issue here is that for too long FCC have relied on using existing assets - be that personnel or rolling stock in order to maximise profits. For example there are still old liveried rolling stock out there when this should have been all re-branded within the first 3 years, itself a hardly stretching target. FCC have consistantly failed to plan adequately and consequantly achieve their targets.
The drivers have worked increasing amounts of their days off as the gap between the number required and the number employed has widened. FCC have failed to recruit enough drivers to cover existing commitements or the extra work captured by the FCC/S.E. Trains tie-up due to the Thameslink 2000 development. FCC have refused to even aknowledge that they are defficient in driver numbers when pressed by the ASLEF union - although recently they seem to have reversed this view on their website.
FCC have cynically engaged the ASLEF negoitiators in 7 months of talks for the 2009 pay and conditions award only to say the offer is 0% - something that they could have offered in APRIL. In the meantime drivers have been working many of the daysoff to allow their colleagues to be taken off driving duties for learning new routes and new train types.
It has always been known that these events would occur but FCC have failed to recruit new drivers to reduce the rest day working requirement.
It is estimated that there are at least another 30 drivers required on the Thameslink side of the franchise. At some depots they areactuall less drivers now that there were a year ago!
While I sympathise with "angry commuter" and the upset the disruption it causes to drivers taking their days off rather than working they are not selfish. They work in a safety critical industry and are subject to serious levels of performance and safety monitoring. However they have no limits to the allowed hours of driving. A lorry driver with 30 tons of rubber ducks as his load has limits to his driving time but a train driver with 800 commuters does not!
Drivers want to see more people employed as drivers - thes could be long-term unemployed if they apply and are suitable - Angry Commuter. Drivers also wish to have a remunneration package commensurate with their role. They have subsatined the profits of FCC through their work and FCC have made increased profits, although this is less than they hoped for. However the government (that us then) have made up the difference. the First Group CEO, Sir Moir Lockhead has failed to meet his targets but it seems this is no preamble to hold back his pay - he has awarded himself 5% and increased his pension pot by 37%.
The drivers are not selfish, they just want to be treated reasonably and honestly - as would any employee
FYI drivers are not paid double time or time and a half for any restday or Sunday work and are rostered to work Monday to Saturday as their working days.
Max, London
FCC should be asked to PROVE their claims that they have 20 Trainee Drivers who will become available in the Spring; this is just a lie.
FCC should be asked to justify why there are units parked up all over the network while drivers are now sitting in the messrooms on their backsides and commuters suffer severe overcrowding; open your eyes and you will see this.
Finally, FCC should be honest and admit that this fiasco wasn't started by 'greedy, selfish drivers' seeking a pay rise. This issue has been bubbling for months with drivers steadily becoming less willing to help them out as incentives to do so have been withdrawn. Why should they have to regularly change their shifts around when the company were paid millions to implement training programs on new routes and units, only to see them drag their heels and squander whilst paying big dividends and bonuses to their big bods?
The 0% 2009 and original 0.5% 2010 pay offer were the nail in the coffin and the signal to those still helping them out that they were having the Mick taken out of them; the revised 3% 2010 offer has too many 'ifs' (like will FCC still have the franchise then?) and the drivers just don't trust them anymore.
It is now up to FCC to get serious and sort this out for the benefit of their commuters; they are a disgrace.
Charlotte, Croydon, england
Please could your paper ask the simple question of FCC where are the 20 drivers that are in training ? FCC state that they are open and honest, looking forward to the answer.
Angry Commuter, Sussex
There are over 2.400.000 unemployed people in the uk. its a no brainer
Sack these greedy selfish drivers and retrain and employ the long term unemployed. £50,000 per anum and they have the cheek to moan.
I pay nearly £4000 a year to get to get to work, and I dont earn as much as these drivers. Shame on them.
This country needs to wake up. I think all fcc ticket holders should return there tickets and get a refund, and pull all funds from fcc.
Signed
Fed up commuter
Alan, London
Call me cynical, but recruiting more drivers probably wont help, as their terms and conditions will probably be the same as current drivers, i.e weekend working is voluntary. If you try to change that, they'll probably go on strike again!
In the real world for some of us, saturdays and sundays is part of the normal working week. Not everone gets double pay!
Alan Ball, Luton, UK
There is only 1 way to resolve this issue and that is if we all take action together. I suggest that for the first 3 working days of December, all FCC passengers stay away froj work due to lack of a reliable rail service. Companies will then be forced to step in.
Big business, in conjunction with the transport secretary, stand the best chance of resolving this issue by putting pressure on FCC.
Let's face it - if we were to take this action, there would be a significant effect on the economy. Let's see how FCC reacts when their performance is directy responsible for the negative effect on the economy.
Simon, Radlett, England
The entire situation is a shambles with the new timetable discriminating against commuters between London and St Albans, relative to further North, where, in the peak evening rush there is a 58 minute window between any services.
FCC have known about the driver situation for 3½ years and have not addressed the problem.
FCC cannot be considered suitable to run a railway and their franchise should be removed forthwith.
FCC are profiting from this as they do not need to pay drivers, service trains etc but still benefit from full payments (at one of the highest rates per mile in the world) by commuters and have a deliberately very difficult to follow claims procedure.
At present commmuters are suffering from an appallingly overcrowded, unreliable and potentially dangerous service.
Llion, Cardiff
Well I must say it is a good thing that FCC has been recruting more trainee drivers.