Posted 1st December 2009 | 5 Comments
Fresh hope in FCC dispute, but now Southern faces strike
FCC is apologising for the reduced service
First Capital Connect has revealed that it has improved its pay offer to drivers, as the ban on rest day working and overtime nears the end of its third week. But now there's trouble on the horizon at Southern, where the RMT has called a strike ballot in a dispute over Christmas pay.
FCC has been running only half its normal service on the Thameslink route since 12 November, after drivers had withdrawn most voluntary working in protest at a pay offer which would have given them no rise in April 2009 and RPI+1 per cent or 3 percent, whichever iwas the greater, in April 2010.
Now FCC has improved its offer in talks with ASLEF, although it is declining to give any details. While the ASLEF response is awaited, the company is holding further talks this week with the RMT, Unite and TSSA. The company is also apologising to its passengers for the continuing emergency service.
Meanwhile trouble is brewing at Southern, where the RMT is to hold a strike ballot over the issue of pay for 28 December. Southern is proposing to treat it as a normal day, but the RMT is arguing that pay should be enhanced because it is a lieu day for Boxing Day. This falls on Saturday this year, making Monday a public holiday.
Southern said it did not believe that the union had any grounds for taking action, and that the company was complying fully with terms and conditions which had been agreed ‘in good faith’. It accused the RMT of asking for three bank holidays instead of two.
The result of the ballot will be known on 21 December, and if drivers are in favour industrial action could take place on 28 December itself.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
philip russell, carlisle, united kingdom
in response to the bedford train drivers piece i sympathise with his view that unions are just doing what they are supposed to do for their members,however history proves that a strong union demanding high wages is no garuntee of a sucessfull industry or a long term job ,witness printing ,car manufacture,coal mining ,engineering,steel making,british airways etc ,when i joined br 20 years ago it recieved 900million in subsidy the present combined railway set up recieves about 5 billion i believe, considering this the government should have privatised the railways outright or kept them state run,either way allowing the company negotiate with unions with more strength and vision than the present short term set up does ,resulting in a better deal for all users and government
A Train Driver, Bedford, UK
With respect to the prevous contributor - Mr Russell, I completly disagree. Rail unions are not out of touch, they are doing what all unions were formed for - to protect the rights of their members and obtain the best possible terms, conditions and remuneration. Anyone who is not in a union today is probably now ruing the fact! If non-unionised employmet has been such a boon for the managers of UK plc over the last 20 - 30 years than why is the UK falling into a 3rd world economy. It appears now that these non-unionised workers have envy in their hearts and wish to drag all other employees down to the level that they are at -often through there own short term choices or lack of moral fibre.
Dave boddy, Peterborough
This is totally a management issue, to sort out t+c so every one knows where they r re work days, rest days, overtime. They have had over 12 years to sort out these issues. It appears the TOC have been brushing the issues under the carpet so that today we r where we r. I would reasonably expect thr DfT to take the same attitude with FCC as they did recently with LMS - there is no difference.... FCC have no excuses for a bad show!
philip russell, carlisle, england
just another sad example of how out of touch some of the rail unions are with the current echonomy and the life of the ordinary working person outside their bubble of drivers and other allready well paid operational staff,,
, if the bottom falls out of the industry eventually then they will have only themselves to blame ,at least the br management of 20 years ago had some sense of direction in human resources management and did not concede to the unions every threat unlike the seemingly rather gutless toc s some of whom seem to be virtually dictated to by the unions on virtually every aspect of working practice
leslie burge, leicester, england
Why don't these companies sort out pay structures and bank holidays etc+
weekend working once and for all and employ enough staff on the ground to do the commitment to these public services they made when taking the franchise on. This should be part of any franchise agreement.