Great Western Coffee Shop

From the London Evening Standard (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23756908-double-dose-of-rail-delays.do):

So ASLEF are going to enter the foot-shooting competition along with CWU. Bloody dinosaurs.

Probably usual Evening Standard hype : eg. think you will find the 20 mph level crossing issue relates to Highlands of Scotland !!!

Quite, i'd be interested to know how many level crossings on the way out of london have no barriers on  ::)

I've checked the ASLEF website and there is no mention of strike action there.  They are usually quite quick to issue a press release if a strike ballot is in the offing.

From the Witney Gazette (http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/business/4687230.Train_drivers_set_to_ballot_for_strike_action/):

It is clear the public do not understand the enormous changes forced upon the British traincrew staff and others in the new Tory privatised rail system.

We have much more to be concerned about with senseless paperwork to complete daily and silly working practices created by managers and the government alike in order to run this fragmented rail network.

The current FGW franchise has ongoing problems with Drivers who are constantly monitored for performance at work also sickness performance. The disipline administered is so harsh and unfair that drivers and others have no choice but to come to work ill, even though their GP doctor has advised them to stay off work. If they choose to go sick the management will initiate a disipline procedure which over a longer period could see the driver dismissed from his job for being ill. Hence an unfit workforce is trying to deliver a safe train service.

Perhaps, the public will try to grasp what this dispute is actually all about and not listen to much to the 'Evening Standard'

Also, the Royal Mail workers, just like us Drivers are not behaving militantly like the thatcher years disputes, but, only trying to preserve a reliable, safe and secure service whilst at the same time preserve working and pension conditions of service

One hopes the public will appreciate the work of others in all weathers to deliver a daily service and not be so self-centred.

Fully appreciate the work train drivers do. As well as the posties. I actually bothered to find out more information on the intended strike on FGW; not easy when ASLEF are not giving their side of the story on their own website. At least that eternal self publicist Bob Crow at the RMT puts his side of the story across wherever and whenever he is given a platform.

Why so little information from ASLEF on the FGW drivers dispute over performance? Maybe because they are going to attract little wider support. If drivers are being forced by their employer to work when a doctor has signed them off, then that is a legal dispute that should be taken to an employment tribunal, not a union matter for strike action.

Again, bloody dinosaurs.

Most public sector workers have had their future service pension provision significantly deteriorated in the last few years, so I don't think they will get much sympathy there.

I'd be interested to see how many un gated level crossings actually have a line speed higher than 20mph!

The Salmonpool crossing north of Crediton on the Barny branch is ungated and has a 25mph speed limit. I think there may also be an ungated 30mph crossing at Umberleigh.

Both Salmon Pool and Umberleigh are 25 mph.

The disciplinary procedure they initiate isn't actually a disciplinary procedure as such. It's called MFA (Managing For Attendance) as is a procedure agreed by both management and the unions to manage attendance, or rather the lack of. Unfortunately all the depots I know closely have certain staff who are clearly playing the game with attendance, and it's their colleagues that suffer as a result. Therefore I am pleased that those people are being given a harder time of it - sadly, with the maze of employment laws, it is very hard for a large company to get rid of wasters.

The MFA procedure has been in place for about 15 years now and it appears that FGW are simply applying it more seriously than they have in the past. There are several stages (five I think) which range from stage one, where a driver is informed that he has triggered the procedure which is based on a number of days off in a given period, to the final stage where, theoretically at least, a driver would be dismissed. I can't think of a single instance where a driver has been dismissed under the procedure - certainly none unfairly.

Generally speaking if a driver has time of sick, certified by a doctor, then they will trigger the procedure and have a meeting with their line manager upon return. Therefore they will be on stage one. Assuming the driver is genuinely ill, they will continue to be monitored but no action will be taken. Assuming after their illness they don't go sick again, then they will come off of the procedure after a certain amount of time. If they do go sick again then the same procedure will be gone through again, and if pattern starts emerging and management suspect they are not being genuine then they will go up to the next stage.

I don't know of any occasion in the last 10 years where drivers have been threatened with the sack if they are off sick with a doctors certificate and don't come in to work. I therefore feel this is an over-reaction on the part of the unions, but it might well go through due to the general feeling amongst drivers towards the company. Personally if I was balloted I'd want the union to provide me with proof that drivers who are genuinely off sick have been threatened as they claim before I voted yes. Sadly, they probably won't, yet many drivers will vote YES!

I thought stage 1 MFA only kicked in if a second sickness occurs within a certain number of weeks, or if one sickness lasts longer than a certain period of days...  ???

That's right, it's based on the number of days off, or the number of instances of sickness. However, I think if you're sick long enough to not be able to self certify yourself and need a doctors certificate, then that's long enough to trigger stage one? You'd also trigger it if you had a few single days off sick in a few months.

Regarding the ballot, I think you will find the drivers are more switched on than to randomly vote for a walk out regarding MFA issues which appear to be depot specific rather than a general issue at FGW. There have not been any significant issues locally, although I accept they happen at other locations within FGW. Bear in mind any strike days held during November will adversley effect the 4 weekly pay period immediately prior to Christmas.

I have my own particular view on this, which I will gladly discuss with the Full Time Officer but not on here for the time being.
 ;)

Having not been on this forum I have been trawling through old posts and came across this one.
The only people who need to worry about MFA are the ones that are continuously taking the ppppp@*s out of the company and their generous sick pay scheme. I had 4 weeks off in the spring due me being hospitalised after an abcess devloped on me leg. Seeing it was my first period of absense for around 10 years ( and I don't require a medal for that thank you) I heard nothing (except for a back to work interview) which lasted all of three minutes.

Its the DCM brigade and the others who decide for whatever reason to have the odd day off now again who should be looking over their shoulders and I for one commend the management for taking a tough stance on these shirkers.

Joe Public shouldn't be too concerned about any ballots over FGW plans to implement the MFA in the future as drivers will not vote for a strike to keep lazy colleagues who stay home regulary while their so called mates pick up the pieces.

The only reason it was suspended this time was because of the threat of a withdrawal of the Rest Day working arrangement. When the company ceases to rely on drivers working rest days then they'll be back after ole sick note and his mates let's make no bones about that!

There is also big unrest with the RMT within FGW, FGW members are leaving RMT left right and centre at the moment because they're fed up with the RMT dragging their heels on so many things, one of which accepting a crap pay deal without consulting it's members!

Which Union are they defecting to?  Because last time I checked it wasn't just RMT that had accepted the latest pay deal?  Aslef also on behalf on HSS drivers had too.  Then there are Harmonisation talks on-going too.  I think given the real fact that FGW as a franchise is not making FirstGroup a profit (even though FirstGroup Rail as a whole has made a profit), and given so many people are losing jobs out there, I think what's been offered is more than acceptable.  In my opinion strike action wouldn't have achieved much, apart from antagonising the public, and when you compare the final offer with what was offered initially, I don't blame the RMT or any other union for accepting.  Just my opinion though.

poppycock!
as a rep I can confirm that RMT membership is strong and like a previous poster as said just who would a deflector join? ATCU?

You would be suprised just how many are joining ATCU, enough to start a new branch in one part of the region!