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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #165 on: August 20, 2024, 19:58:05 » |
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I think they might be a bit baffled about a good working relationship in which he hid behind the RDG‡ and didn’t meet with ASLEF» for 16 months.
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #166 on: August 20, 2024, 20:07:48 » |
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Train guards say they want bumper pay rises like drivers From The Mail, via MSNRail union barons will today demand inflation-busting pay hikes for guards after train drivers got a bumper rise.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT▸ ) union will hold talks with the Government today and is expected to demand at least a 4 per cent increase for this year as well as a backdated 5 per cent rise for last year.
This comes after drivers got a 14.25 per cent increase over three years with no strings attached.
The militant RMT will then hold talks with state-owned Network Rail on Thursday about similar rises for signallers and track maintenance staff.
Union negotiators were said to be 'hopeful' a deal could be struck last night as the new Labour Government appears to be more receptive to their demands.
RMT boss Mick Lynch has warned that his members will expect a similar pay offer to that received by Aslef, which represents train drivers.
Mr Lynch said last week: 'All things being equal, we are expecting a parallel, synchronised offer to that of Aslef.'
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has previously backed RMT strikes. When Labour was in Opposition in 2018, she posted an image of herself on X, formerly Twitter, taking part in a hustings with RMT officials.
Alongside the image, she posted: 'On Thursday I spoke in support of RMT workers who are striking to keep guards on our trains.
'These guards play a vital role in keeping passengers safe.'
The post related to a long-running row about switching to driver-only operated (DOO▸ ) trains, where drivers open and close the doors rather than guards. The RMT has long opposed the moves.
The RMT donated £72,000 to 18 Labour candidates, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, in the run-up to last month's general election.
As well as the bumper settlement for train drivers – which they still have to vote to accept – the new Government has signed off a 5.5 per cent pay increase for most other public sector workers, estimated to cost taxpayers £9.4billion.
Meanwhile, it has offered junior doctors 22 per cent.
GPs are also now demanding an 11 per cent increase in their funding – up from the 7.4 per cent offered by the Government. |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #167 on: August 21, 2024, 15:38:29 » |
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From The Mail, via MSNStriking rail workers demand 38 days' holiday on TOP of pay rise
Striking rail workers are demanding 38 days' holiday and 35-hour weeks after getting a pay rise approved.
Commuters have been constantly plagued by delays, cancellations and rail-replacement buses for the last two years.
Rail workers walked out over wages, planned changes to working practices and the threat of redundancies, leaving Britain's public transport in chaos.
Labour, under new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, pledged to renationalise passenger rail services and 'reset' industrial relations during the General Election.
And last week, ministers signed off 14 per cent pay rise over three years in a hope to end the disruption.
The news came as a relief to travellers who have suffered repeated misery as a result of Aslef's 18 strikes over two years – the longest rail dispute in recent history.
But now The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA» ) - which represents train service controllers, ticket officers and gate line personnel - has also asked Great Western Railway to increase their holiday entitlement to 38 days per year including bank holidays.
The letter sent to TSSA members last week read: 'I have ensured that the team that is likely to meet with DfT» (Department for Transport) are briefed and aware of your aspirations in advance of any such meeting between TSSA and the DfT,' The Telegraph reported.
The majority of workers who work a five-day week receive at least 28 days' paid annual leave a year - which includes eight public holidays in England and Wales.
The GWR▸ holiday demand wasn't included in Tuesday's pay negotiations, which were described as 'productive'.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh announced the above inflation increase which will see the average driver's salary rise from £60,000 to just below £70,000.
It is the latest move in a bid to end the strikes and satisfy the unions after junior doctors were offered a 22 per cent increase over two years to end NHS strikes last month.
Labour has been accused of prioritising their union paymasters over rail passengers, pensioners and taxpayers after announcing a series of pay deals for public sector workers since coming to power in early July.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, also signed off on an above-inflation salary increase of 5.5 per cent for millions of public sector staff - at a cost of nearly £10billion.
She argued that further strikes would cost the economy more in the long run, but it sparked fears of increased taxes in her first Budget to cover the cost.
At the same time, Labour is axing winter fuel payments for millions of retirees as the Chancellor looks to fill a £22billion 'black hole' in the public finances.
Under the new Government's offer to end the two-year rail strikes, train drivers will keep the bizarre perks that the previous Tory government wanted to ditch.
Ministers said on Wednesday that they had struck a deal with union chiefs which would see the average driver's salary soar by 14.25 per cent.
The pay rise, which is pensionable, could cost as much as £100million. It is more generous than the previous government's offer of eight per cent over two years.
This also included conditions around reforming antiquated and costly working rules, dubbed 'Spanish practices', that the Tory administration wanted, and which would have reduced the cost of running the railways.
Drivers can choose whether they work on Sundays and get an overtime rate if they do.
Menial tasks such as changing a plug socket can take nine workers because of resistance to multi-skilling staff. Different teams can't cross boundary lines to help sort a fault.
These dictate that staff must be given extra time on breaks to cover the process of strolling to and from their mess room and a train.
For example, at Birmingham New Street station a worker's half-hour tea break actually lasts 40 minutes, with five minutes for the journey there and back.
While the offer came as a relief to passengers plagued by strikes, Labour was accused of surrendering to its union 'paymasters' because it comes with no strings attached.
The previous Tory administration insisted reforms, such as compulsory Sunday working, had to be part of any agreement.
But the offer is even more generous than first thought, as it also covers drivers who have left their jobs in the last two years.
This is because the 14 per cent salary hike covers three years, backdating to April 2022.
But despite the bumper pay deal, hundreds of members of the Aslef union working for London North Eastern Railway (LNER» ) will walk out for a total of 22 days, including every Saturday between August 31 and November 9 and every Sunday from September 1 to November 10.
Aslef insisted the dispute at LNER – which runs trains on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh - is separate from the long-running row over pay, which is set to be resolved after a new offer this week from the Government.
But shadow home secretary James Cleverly mocked the Labour government for being 'played by its union paymasters', adding that the 'latest wave of strikes will be devastating for families who rely on train travel to see their loved ones'.
A DfT spokesman said: 'Fixing our railways is at the heart of our plan to kick-start economic growth and ending the adversarial approach to industrial relations is the first step to delivering that.
'Today, officials resumed talks and held constructive discussions with RMT▸ , Unite and TSSA to reset the relationship with unions for the benefit of passengers and the taxpayer. Further conversations will be held in the coming weeks.' |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #168 on: August 26, 2024, 21:17:05 » |
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Train driver strikes on hold after new ScotRail pay offer From the BBC» Threatened strike action by ScotRail staff has been put on hold after a new pay offer.
The train drivers' union Aslef has announced its ballot for industrial action has been withdrawn and members have been asked to vote on the offer.
It follows "constructive" talks between the company and unions in recent weeks.
An emergency timetable with a reduced number of services will continue in the meantime.
The publicly-owned firm was embroiled in a long-running dispute with unions in the summer of 2022 which saw overtime bans and full strikes across the network in Scotland.
Details of the new pay offer have not been made public but it is understood all staff would get a 4.5% rise, backdated to April.
ScotRail's service delivery director Mark Ilderton said they were "pleased that we’ve been able to reach this position".
“The talks with trade union colleagues have been very constructive and it is a fantastic step forward with ASLEF» withdrawing the ballot for industrial action and moving forward with a member referendum on the pay offer,” he said.
He encouraged colleagues to support the offer.
“We recognise the hard work of our colleagues, and the cost-of-living challenges faced by families across the country and believe that the pay offer reflects this, as well as providing value for money for the public finances,” he added.
ScotRail has been operating a reduced service since July, when a number of drivers stopped working extra Sunday shifts and overtime in the pay dispute,
About 600 services were cut under the provisional measures, leaving 1,660 trains operating between Mondays and Saturdays.
Peak-time services in the morning and late afternoon were halved from four trains per hour to two, external.
Caledonian Sleeper services would also have been impacted by strike action.
ASLEF, RMT▸ and TSSA» have been approached for comment |
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #169 on: August 29, 2024, 20:50:12 » |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #170 on: August 29, 2024, 21:10:39 » |
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Warning issued that a full timetable may not be possible as rosters can't be updated in time.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #171 on: August 29, 2024, 21:23:12 » |
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Eh? Since 2022?  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #172 on: August 30, 2024, 13:51:06 » |
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TG keeps finding the wrong thread lately.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #173 on: August 30, 2024, 13:58:00 » |
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Thanks, ChrisB. I'll move these recent posts to the '2024' topic.  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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grahame
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« Reply #174 on: August 31, 2024, 06:56:07 » |
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And from The Mail ... Revealed: Sir Keir Starmer had heated exchange with Labour Transport Secretary amid concerns she was 'failing to get a grip' on rail strikes
The Prime Minister gave his Transport Secretary a dressing down after being left red-faced by rail union barons.
Sir Keir Starmer hauled Louise Haigh into Downing Street to demand answers after train drivers announced 22 days’ worth of strikes just 48 hours after being handed a 14.25 per cent pay hike by his Government on August 14.
[etc]
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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ellendune
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« Reply #175 on: August 31, 2024, 09:15:32 » |
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If the only source is from the Daily Mail then I have no confidence that it actually happened. |
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #176 on: September 09, 2024, 17:37:13 » |
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PhilWakely
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« Reply #177 on: September 09, 2024, 18:46:47 » |
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hmm. GB▸ News - pretty much on the same level as the Daily Mail |
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #178 on: September 09, 2024, 19:04:40 » |
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hmm. GB▸ News - pretty much on the same level as the Daily Mail Expected that It was widely reported. I lifted it from MSN in order to enable anyone who was interested to read it without running up against a pay wall. Good to address the message rather than taking aim at the messenger? |
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Trowres
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« Reply #179 on: September 09, 2024, 23:58:50 » |
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...
Good to address the message rather than taking aim at the messenger?
Similar articles appear in the Telegraph and the Daily Mail, but neither BBC» nor Guardian, so far. Right-wing media seeing an opportunity? But let's look at the message. In the absence of verbatim minutes from the TUC fringe meeting, I'm going to suggest we look carefully at the quote marks in the articles to see what Mr Whelan might have actually said, and what is outside the quotes and being suggested by the media. So from the DM: Mr Whelan said: 'So I am quite... not content, 'cos I'll never be content, I'm an argumentative b*****. And the movement will never be content.
'While we have the lowest pensions in Europe and people then talking about not giving people their heating payments, I'm not content.' Where the DM has been noxious is in its linking of "not satisfied" with the recent pay deal. The article is headed: 'Unions will never be satisfied,' Aslef boss warns just weeks after receiving massive pay deal |
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