|
TaplowGreen
|
 |
« Reply #2325 on: October 28, 2024, 08:49:18 » |
|
Today (Monday) isn't looking too good either.
Astonishing - no fewer than eight cancellations of trains starting before 7 a.m. and I would suspect that each of them is on a different diagram - in other words they're 8 drivers and/or train managers short on the early shift and this is not explained by one driver who's supposed to be (for example) running up and down from Slough to Windsor. 04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington due 08:35 05:16 Bath Spa to Portsmouth Harbour due 07:38 05:33 Plymouth to Penzance due 07:29 06:02 Swindon to Weymouth due 08:23 06:12 Frome to London Paddington due 08:01 06:40 Penzance to Cardiff Central due 12:21 06:41 Swindon to Worcester Shrub Hill due 08:05 06:42 Frome to Southampton Central due 08:07 P.S. for anyone reading back later ... to emphasise ... it's a Monday. Devon/Cornwall - Paddington long distance services being particularly affected - ironic given GWR▸ 's advice to travel today instead of Sunday  |
|
|
|
« Last Edit: October 28, 2024, 09:00:34 by TaplowGreen »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
ChrisB
|
|
« Reply #2326 on: October 28, 2024, 18:01:10 » |
|
Half term mind.... |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
grahame
|
|
« Reply #2327 on: October 28, 2024, 18:27:17 » |
|
Half term mind.... As a former staff manager of a business that ran 7 days a week and 24 hours a day (and 365/366 days not just 363/4) we used to look well ahead and be aware of projected staff availability. We had one instance of not having a trained person to be on duty in 10 years, when one of our team who went to the doctor on his way into work and was instructed to go straight to hospital. ChrisB - I really think that GWR▸ and other organisations behind them who have an ability to instruct them should have been aware of the upcoming half term and have planned for it. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
|
|
|
|
ChrisB
|
|
« Reply #2328 on: October 28, 2024, 18:31:16 » |
|
Sickness....you can do all the planning you like
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
TaplowGreen
|
|
« Reply #2329 on: October 28, 2024, 18:35:26 » |
|
Half term mind.... As a former staff manager of a business that ran 7 days a week and 24 hours a day (and 365/366 days not just 363/4) we used to look well ahead and be aware of projected staff availability. We had one instance of not having a trained person to be on duty in 10 years, when one of our team who went to the doctor on his way into work and was instructed to go straight to hospital. ChrisB - I really think that GWR▸ and other organisations behind them who have an ability to instruct them should have been aware of the upcoming half term and have planned for it. Yep, half term, just another entirely foreseeable circumstance, known about months in advance, that pretty much every other business deals with via effective workforce management. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
grahame
|
|
« Reply #2330 on: October 28, 2024, 18:41:09 » |
|
Sickness....you can do all the planning you like
Indeed - we got caught out that once. At other sickness events we were not caught. I was personally a specialist and in my daytime (usually Monday to Friday with some Sunday starts) role I had to let people down with no replacement twice in 20 years. Lucky. And customers were VERY understanding when it happened. But, Chris, sickness is random and you gave "Half Term" as the reason for the GWR▸ issues which is not random. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
|
|
|
|
ChrisB
|
|
« Reply #2331 on: October 28, 2024, 18:43:02 » |
|
the amounts of back-pay will have been burning holes in back pockets though. late requests, when not up to full quota off, cannot be refused as I understand it.
There were planned sickness when I was younger in unionised labour. Quite difficult to do anything about.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
TaplowGreen
|
|
« Reply #2332 on: October 28, 2024, 18:48:38 » |
|
the amounts of back-pay will have been burning holes in back pockets though. late requests, when not up to full quota off, cannot be refused as I understand it.
There were planned sickness when I was younger in unionised labour. Quite difficult to do anything about.
Blimey we're certainly spinning the wheel here.....half term, sickness (planned or otherwise), back pay (does that make you ill or just euphoric?).......any more Chris?  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
grahame
|
|
« Reply #2333 on: October 28, 2024, 19:46:54 » |
|
There were planned sickness when I was younger ...
We had planned sickness too ... one of our team had a major operation which was scheduled ahead of time. And, yes, in my days in the civil service I was aware of people who were healthy but then took days off without notice claiming illness - but I would not describe those days off as "sickness" and felt the description of the days to be less than honest. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
|
|
|
|
a-driver
|
|
« Reply #2334 on: October 28, 2024, 19:57:17 » |
|
Half term mind.... As a former staff manager of a business that ran 7 days a week and 24 hours a day (and 365/366 days not just 363/4) we used to look well ahead and be aware of projected staff availability. We had one instance of not having a trained person to be on duty in 10 years, when one of our team who went to the doctor on his way into work and was instructed to go straight to hospital. ChrisB - I really think that GWR▸ and other organisations behind them who have an ability to instruct them should have been aware of the upcoming half term and have planned for it. Presumably you would have been fully staffed? The railway is very much not fully staffed and is reliant on overtime and good will during the week, not just Sunday. Plus we’re in leaf fall season. You’ll always see a slight reduction in the number of drivers willing to work overtime because they’re simply avoiding the risk of being involved in an incident. There’s also “planned sickness” in any industry. People will know how the recording of sickness and management systems work and will known exactly when they can go sick and for how long for before it triggers any management action. |
|
|
|
« Last Edit: October 28, 2024, 20:05:51 by a-driver »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
grahame
|
|
« Reply #2335 on: October 28, 2024, 20:20:02 » |
|
Presumably you would have been fully staffed? Yes - that was a business choice we made. However, that did not mean that we did not have to make use of goodwill to fill unexpected gaps The railway is very much not fully staffed .... Look at the "Meet the Manager" topics on this and be assured they have enough staff - just not in the right places, times and with the right skills / training. I find this vey hard to believe, or take it as being "fully staffed". |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
|
|
|
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 6594
The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!
|
|
« Reply #2336 on: October 28, 2024, 21:02:28 » |
|
Could sickness not be renamed as "More staff than usual needing repair"?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now, please!
|
|
|
|
Timmer
|
|
« Reply #2337 on: October 28, 2024, 21:04:09 » |
|
Blimey we're certainly spinning the wheel here.....half term, sickness (planned or otherwise), back pay (does that make you ill or just euphoric?).......any more Chris? It feels that way. The wheel of excuses as to why GWR▸ don’t have enough staff to operate the planned timetable. The best one of the year for me was the football and GWR actually admitting this was a reason for having to cancel services. That absolutely took the biscuit for me. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Wizard
|
|
« Reply #2338 on: October 29, 2024, 17:15:56 » |
|
It’s just a mix of everything. It’s also December link planning time which takes some more drivers away from the cab. And with large back pay sums in bank accounts drivers don’t feel the need to do more overtime right now.
The amount of drivers who are working rest days every day is staggering. It’s far more than you’d think. A few of the regular ones might not want to this week with half term, and this is the result.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
ChrisB
|
|
« Reply #2339 on: October 29, 2024, 17:23:52 » |
|
Indeed - but GWR▸ Director stated that they had more than enough staff to run the timetable!
If there is a need for RDW, then they absolutely haven't & they ought to be challenged on this. Fine to rely on it to cover sickness or other absences, but not as a general rule.
And therein lies the difference. If they are relying on RDW, then they do not0 have sufficient staff, whatever a Director might state to us.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
