Great Western Coffee Shop

Publication Date: November 12 2010

RAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that it is to ballot drivers on Arriva Trains Wales for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Negotiations with Arriva Trains Wales have been dragged out by the company and the patience and goodwill of RMT members has been exhausted. Arriva Trains Wales drivers are amongst the lowest paid train drivers in the country and they have tolerated this situation for far too long. RMT union has also put forward proposals to improve train safety by reducing the maximum turn length and to ensure drivers get sufficient breaks

As a result, the union has had no option but to begin balloting for action with the ballot closing on the 30 the November. RMT is campaigning for a massive yes vote for action which will send a clear message to the company.

RMT is the biggest industrial union representing train drivers in Wales and is the lead railway union.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

^RMT has rejected the most recent offer from the company that would have left our members out of pocket and which was loaded with strings. Our members would have ended up with inferior working conditions for a de facto pay cut."

^Arriva Trains Wales have shown us in the clearest possible terms that they have no wish to properly reward the hard work and loyalty to the staff and are motivated solely by the drive for bigger profits to line the pockets of the shareholders and that is why we are now balloting for industrial action.

^RMT is making it clear that real progress must be achieved with Arriva Trains Wales for them to avoid a dispute. Without the hard work and commitment of our members there would be no company profits and it^s high time that Arriva Trains Wales recognised that.

^We are therefore calling on our members for an overwhelming ^YES^ vote for industrial action and industrial action short of a strike bring Arriva Trains Wales management back to the table to seriously negotiate an improvement to the pay offer which improves the work/life balance of the drivers and which properly rewards their staff.^

Talks due in bid to avoid Arriva Trains Wales strike

Talks will be held later between union officials and Arriva Trains Wales in an attempt to avert strike action.

Members of the rail union Aslef have voted for industrial action in a dispute over pay, with the first 24-hour stoppage due on Friday.

Disruption could increase because that evening the Wales rugby team play Fiji at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is also balloting members with a recommendation for a vote for action.

Further strikes are also scheduled for the following Friday and Saturday, 26 and 27 November.

That Saturday could mean further problems for rugby fans because Wales are again in action at the Millennium Stadium, this time against New Zealand.

Aslef, which has about 500 Arriva Trains Wales members, has described its pay offer as "derisory," and said an "overwhelming majority" backed action.

The RMT is balloting its members at both Arriva Trains in Wales and at Merseyrail over company pay offers.

A spokesman for Arriva said both sides in the dispute were coming to the table for Monday's talks "with hopes of a resolution".

He added: "From our point of view we will do everything we possibly can to avert strike action".

Arriva Trains Wales drivers call off Friday strike

A planned strike on Friday by drivers at Arriva Trains Wales has been called off following an improved pay offer.

The drivers' union Aslef said it would meet on Monday to decide whether to call off two planned further walkouts.

Aslef, which has about 500 Arriva Trains Wales members, had described the initial pay offer as "derisory."

The stoppage planned for Friday would have coincided with the Wales rugby international against Fiji at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Is this improved pay offer really 6.1%??? Can I become an Arriva Wales train driver. Don't they know there's a recession on?

Drivers on Arriva Trains Wales have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said 85% of members backed the industrial action

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow described the company's offer as "paltry". He added: "It would have left our members out of pocket and which was loaded with strings.

Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) said it was "surprised and disappointed".

"Our members would have ended up with inferior working conditions for a de facto pay cut.

"Arriva Trains Wales have shown us in the clearest possible terms that they have no wish to properly reward the hard work and loyalty to the staff and are motivated solely by the drive for bigger profits to line the pockets of the shareholders

"That is why we have balloted for industrial action and why our members have delivered this overwhelming mandate," Mr Crown added.

Last month a planned stoppage at Arriva Trains Wales by members of the drivers' union Aslef was called off.

An ATW spokeswoman said: "We are surprised and disappointed that the RMT has chosen to ballot for industrial action, based on a previous pay offer which has since been superseded by a significantly improved offer."

The spokeswoman added that ATW train drivers were represented by two trade unions, ASLEF & RMT, and that ASLEF had recommended the latest pay offer to its members for acceptance.

From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11984946):

I am a train driver for ATW. As everyone is obviously aware, ATW and other UK rail franchises are owned by Deutsche Bahn, who are of course owned by the German Government. My union, ASLEF (who have the collective bargaining agreements for ATW) have been in pay discussions since May 2010. As part of the 2010 pay offer ATW management wished us to relinquish our right whether to work Sunday's voluntarily. Due to the nature of our work, Sunday is usually the only day we see our families. But of course surely, we are just greedy? The time I have with my children is disjointed enough already with shift work without adding to it by having no voluntary opt-out of Sunday working. On the face of it rejecting a 12%, two year pay deal in the current financial climate will seem totally 'Looney' to most but in reality, in comparison with English train operating companies this settlement is very poor. But that's OK. We're Welsh so we expected to take a lower pay rise and be thankful for it and tip our hats to our illustrious business leaders in Berlin. striking is our last resort, not our first. We strike because talks have failed. We don't do it because we can, we do it because our backs are against the wall. If they wish us to lose our voluntary right to work Sundays then they need to compensate us fairly as other Deutsche Bahn British train franchises do

Quite how Commie Bob see this as 'an affective pay cut' is beyond me.  :o ::)

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who don't know the difference between effect and affect
  
• [...]

ATW employs 617 drivers of which 129 are in the RMT, with the remainder in the Aslef union. ATW does not expect the other drivers to cross the picket line.

Arriva court plan to prevent Six Nations rail strike

Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) is considering court action to prevent the rail strike planned on the opening day of the Six Nations rugby tournament.

The strike over pay is due next Friday when Wales host England at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Wales rugby fans have said they expect travel chaos in Cardiff city centre on the night of the game.

Rail union RMT said the pay offer was unacceptable and would leave members with an effective pay cut.

ATW, which operates trains across Wales, confirmed it may seek a court injunction to stop the industrial action by members of RMT.

It said the strike would cause disruption and inconvenience for many thousands of rail passengers and rugby fans.

The train operator has said its offer of a 12% pay increase over two years, taking a driver's basic salary to ^39,117, was "very generous".

The RMT disputes the 12% figure, saying the rise for this year is actually 3.7%, and claims it is an effective pay cut.

A union spokesperson said: "Our dispute is not with the rugby fans of Wales or England, our dispute is with ATW. We decide on our tactics to force the issue with the company. We have to look at all the options. It's forced the company to take this issue seriously. We're not doing this to disrupt people who are going to the rugby."

An estimated 32,000 fans usually use ATW's services on match days, forcing many supporters to make other arrangements.

Pontypridd RFC finance director Peter Howells said: "We've almost filled one coach and we're looking at getting another one. We would normally run one coach but because of the increased demand, we're in the process of organising another."

Wales rugby fan Dave Evans, from Cardiff, said: "The fans are presumably going to try to come down by car. That's going to cause chaos in the centre of Cardiff - that's the point of the strike but that doesn't help the fans."

Talks between the union and the train operator are expected to take place on Monday.

Transport Ieuan Wyn Jones has called on both sides to negotiate.

ATW employs 617 drivers of which 129 are in the RMT, with the remainder in the Aslef union. ATW does not expect the other drivers to cross the picket line.

The station cafe at Barnstaple has it's own departures screen:

Wales-England rugby rail strike 'will be disastrous'

The train strike planned for Wales' Six Nations opener against England in Cardiff on Friday will be disastrous for the country's image, says an MP.

The rail union RMT is due to strike, claiming its pay offer from Arriva Trains Wales amounted to a cut.

But Vale of Glamorgan Conservative MP Alun Cairns called on the assembly government to intervene, saying he had "no sympathy" with the train drivers.

Arriva Trains Wales said its 12% pay offer over two years was very generous.

But RMT general secretary Bob Crow said the offer was "unacceptable" and would have left members "with an effective pay cut and which was loaded with strings".

The strike has been called for the day Wales meet England in the evening fixture at the Millennium Stadium.

Mr Cairns, who is also AM for South West Wales, said: "The situation on Friday will be horrendous and impossible for those travelling on trains into Cardiff. Not only will it send the wrong message to the rest of the UK and potential investors, but it will be disastrous if it isn't stopped. It will be a disaster in terms of PR, a disaster in terms of organisation and a disaster in terms of health and safety. I hope the assembly government will use all its might to try and force the union to back down."

Mr Cairns also called on Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones to stop "ignoring" the situation and said train drivers needed to "get real" in tough economic times.

Mr Jones has called on both sides in the strike to negotiate to try to avert the action, saying it would cause "unnecessary inconvenience".

But he said the assembly government should not be directly involved in industrial relations matters.

An estimated 32,000 fans usually use the company's services on match days.

On Thursday the train operating firm's operations and safety director, Peter Leppard, said it was "still talking" to the rail union but a resolution before next Friday "does not look hopeful".

Mr Leppard called the strike "completely unjustifiable". He said the pay offer would raise an Arriva driver's basic salary to ^39,117, an "astonishingly good" income in Wales and a "mid table" salary among train drivers in the UK.

But the RMT says staff do not believe the current offer goes "far enough to protect their standard of living".

The Welsh Assembly Government has been asked to comment.

The voluntary Sunday working is the bargaining chip the unions won't give up.  It is patently absurd that a business has to attempt to offer a seven day service while its employees insist that they cannot be rostered to work Sundays if they don't feel like it.

Please don't shoot the messenger, but the result was ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9386391.stm  :P

Arriva Trains Wales strike to go ahead from midnight

Train services will be affected from midnight on Saturday as two days of industrial action by drivers from Arriva Trains Wales begin.

The action called by the Aslef union follows a long-running pay dispute.

There will be no Arriva Trains Wales services on Sunday or Monday and no alternative transport is being provided.

Managers say an offer of a 12% rise over two years is extremely generous.

The union has accused the company of paying Welsh drivers less than their English counterparts.

The 01.50 GMT Fishguard Harbour to Cardiff service on Sunday will be replaced by a bus service but passengers on all other services are being advised to make alternative travel arrangements.

Services on Tuesday are also likely to be disrupted as the network returns to normal.

Peter Leppard, Operations Director for Arriva Trains Wales, said: "Arriva Trains Wales' senior management and officials from the ASLEF and RMT trade unions have been in talks for many months in an attempt to reach a final agreement on pay and working conditions for train drivers.

"We are extremely disappointed that once again our generous offer has been rejected and that the planned industrial action by ASLEF for 27 and 28 February will go ahead."

He said the strike would cause significant inconvenience to customers.

An Aslef spokesman said: "We regret the disruption to the service and our passengers but we would not have staged the strike if there had been any alternatives."

For service updates customers are advised to check the Arriva Trains Wales website - www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk or contact National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.

Rail stations in Wales deserted as train drivers strike

Train services across Wales have been severely disrupted for a second day because of a strike by drivers.

Members of Aslef at Arriva Trains Wales are staging a 24-hour walk-out in a dispute about pay.

More than 900 services have been cancelled as a result.

I was a bit dumbstruck by the people in the BBC article claiming they had no idea there was a strike going on. I can only assume they spend their lives with their head stuck in a bin, never reading a newspaper, listening to the radio, turning on the TV or looking on the internet. I live in America and it's been made pretty prominent on the BBC News website for the last several days, I'm amazed it was possible to live in Wales and not be aware of the strike.

Arriva Train Wales strike on rugby day again

Drivers working for Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) are to stage a fresh 24-hour walk out on 12 March, the day of the Wales v Ireland rugby international in Cardiff.

Aslef said the stoppage by its members a week on Saturday followed the failed talks with company managers.

ATW has already said none of its services would run this Sunday due to an overtime ban by the union.

The dispute centres on a row over pay and changes to working conditions, in particular Sunday hours.

It has already seen drivers walk out last Monday.

Aslef General Secretary Keith Norman said he was "bitterly disappointed" with the company for failing to come up with an improved pay offer.

"Given the company's reluctance to change the position and the unacceptability of their previous offer, we have little choice but to take further action," he said.

ATW has said it has offered a "generous" pay rise worth 12% over two years.

Strike talks progress as Arriva Trains Wales action off

A union says "productive talks" led to the cancellation of a train drivers' walkout to coincide with this weekend's Six Nations rugby in Cardiff.

Members of Aslef had planned the 24-hour action in a row with Arriva Trains Wales over pay and changes to working conditions, in particular Sunday hours.

It would have affected fans going to the Wales-Ireland game at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

The union and the train company are to hold further discussions next week.

Aslef said the talks between its general secretary Keith Norman and Arriva officials led to the strike being suspended.

An Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) spokesperson said there was "good progress" with Aslef and it plans a full service, with additional services around the match time on Saturday.

A queuing system will be in place at Cardiff Central station after the match and Queen Street station will be closed as usual after 1830 GMT.

Last month Aslef staged a 24-hour strike by drivers, meaning none of ATW's 950 services ran on 28 February.

Sunday services have also been affected by an overtime ban.