First Great Western - industrial action in 2015 - merged topic

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2015-06-10/talks-underway-to-prevent-great-western-strike/

[ChrisB]

They won't win but I suspect payment for 'new' technology will be demanded (and probably won)

[IndustryInsider]

Yes I agree, and it could rumble on for many, many months before any settlement is grudgingly accepted.

[Tim]

strike ballot on 30 June

[url][/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33046312url]

[ChrisB]

The union says it wants assurances over jobs, staffing levels and buffet facilities on the new Super Express Trains and for the maintenance contract to be kept in house.

The latter isn't even in the control of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)! Ridiculous

[TaplowGreen]

The union says it wants assurances over jobs, staffing levels and buffet facilities on the new Super Express Trains and for the maintenance contract to be kept in house.

The latter isn't even in the control of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)! Ridiculous

It's clear to me that the Union is after a political punchup with the Government - some of these demands are ridiculous and as you quite rightly say some are not even within the gift of FGW.

Clearly dinosaurs are not yet extinct.

[IndustryInsider]

Don't tell me you're surprised, TG?

[the void]

The buffet isn't in control of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) either - the trains do not have a buffet on them so it will be very difficult for FGW to meet RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) demands to have a buffet instead of a trolley.

[ChrisB]

I think FGW^▸ (First Great Western) specified the train's layout, didn't they?

[broadgage]

The buffet isn't in control of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) either - the trains do not have a buffet on them so it will be very difficult for FGW to meet RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) demands to have a buffet instead of a trolley.

In practice, yes you are correct.
But in theory was not one of essential requirements of the new trains the ability to readily alter the internal layout so as to add a buffet ?

I think that the official line is still that a buffet could be added, though I agree that it wont happen.

[dog box]

Virgin West Coast have stated that they are to provide a shop type mini buffet on there version of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.), and the safety duties of the guard will remain

[ellendune]

Virgin West Coast have stated that they are to provide a shop type mini buffet on there version of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.), and the safety duties of the guard will remain

Did you mean Virgin East Coast?

[grahame]

From First Great Western Press Release dated 3rd July.

Rail strike: RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) planned industrial action.  Services expected to be significantly affected from Thursday 9 July to start of service on Saturday 11 July

I'm going to suggest you read these as contingency plans at this point

While the company is due to meet with the RMT on Monday 6 July, should the industrial action go ahead it is likely to affect long distance and local rail services from Thursday 9 July until the morning of Saturday 11 July. Capacity will be limited and trains will be very busy.

Services will operate as normal with the following alterations:

London Thames Valley
Between Reading and Gatwick: Hourly
Between Reading and Basingstoke: Hourly
Services between Maidenhead and Marlow will terminate at Bourne End
Oxford, Reading, London fast services will be operated by turbo trains

Bristol
Between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads, extending to Weston-Super-Mare and Taunton during the peak: One train an hour
Services between Cardiff and Portsmouth will operate between Bristol Parkway and Salisbury: Every two hours
Between Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester: Every two hours

South Wales
Between London Paddington and Cardiff via Bristol Parkway. Services will extend to Swansea only in the peak: One train an hour

South Cotswolds
Between Cheltenham Spa and London Paddington: One train per morning and evening peak

North Cotswolds
Between Hereford/Worcester and London Paddington: One train per morning and evening peak

Devon and Cornwall
Between London Paddington and Plymouth: One train every two hours
Between Penzance and Plymouth: One train every two hours
Between Exeter and Exmouth: Every two hours
Between Exeter and Paignton: Every two hours
Between Barnstaple and Exeter: One per peak
Between Plymouth a Gunnislake: One per peak


Unfortunately we will not be able to operate the following branch line services:
Between Severn Beach and Bristol Temple Meads
Between Weymouth and Westbury
Between Swindon and Westbury via Melksham
Between Gunnislake and Plymouth
Between Looe and Liskeard
Between Newquay and Par
Between Falmouth and Truro
Between Greenford and Paddington

Customers with tickets for the dates affected can chose to travel on either Wednesday 8 July or Saturday 11 July and are recommended to do so, subject to any travel restrictions that would normally apply to your ticket.

We ask holders of Advance Purchase tickets to travel as close to possible to their original booked time. For travel on the days affected Advance Purchase tickets will additionally be valid on the train immediately before or after the booked time. Full refunds will be available for customers who choose not to travel. Should the strike go ahead, we will also make arrangements to compensate Season Ticket holders for the days affected.

Not from the press release, but accompanying correspondence:

"Where we are not running a service we will not be able to offer replacement road transport.  We are however talking to other train operating companies and to scheduled bus service providers to seek agreement for our tickets to be used on their services."

Full press release - http://atrebatia.info/rmt_set_july.pdf

[grahame]

Posted public at 08:00 upon appearance of press release on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site.

[broadgage]

As with previous threatened disputes, I hope that a high priority will be given to ensuring that those trains that do run are of the maximum permitted length.
With so many services not able to run, there should be plenty of rolling stock available, and hopefully therefore no excuse for rush hour trains consisting of just 2 or 3 vehicles.

Will buffets and Pullmans be available ?. IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), they should be since one of the reasons for the dispute is the withdrawal of buffets. IMHO it would be a publicity gain for the relevant RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) staff to provide these services as normal, whilst pointing out that no such will be available on the new shorter trains.