Railway staff unions industrial and strike action - 2023

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

This time last year I listed the current driver numbers at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) with the main intention to see the split between HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) grade drivers and GWR grade drivers.  The former can withdraw from their rostered Sundays, with 5 days notice, the latter have 'commited' Sundays they are obliged to work if they don't want to work, but no cover can be found.

The implication being the more GWR drivers, the less of an issue Sunday coverage should become, especially over the summer.

Just to give an idea of driver numbers at each depot:

Bristol - HSS 66   GWR 118
Bristol Parkway - HSS 41  GWR 6
Cardiff - GWR 15
Exeter - HSS 43   GWR 150
Fratton - GWR 34
Gloucester - GWR 60
Oxford - GWR 83
Paddington - HSS 78   GWR 73   
Par - GWR 33
Penzance - HSS 30   GWR 47
Plymouth - HSS 55   GWR 30
Reading - GWR 220
Swansea - HSS 65   GWR 5
Westbury - GWR 65
Worcester - HSS 25   GWR 14

Totals:  HSS 403    GWR 953    TOTAL 1356

So, 30% HSS and 70% GWR - a little more biased towards GWR than I was expecting, but they can have a disproportionate affect on the longer distance routes that seem to struggle the most on Sundays.  You can't cover much of a Paddington<>Penzance service with crews from the GWR exclusive deports of Oxford, Reading, Fratton or Gloucester for example.

So, there's last years totals, and here are this years:

Bristol - HSS 60  GWR 127
Bristol Parkway - HSS 41  GWR 20
Cardiff - GWR 18
Exeter - HSS 41  GWR 160
Fratton - GWR 31
Gloucester - GWR 66
Oxford - GWR 86
Paddington - HSS 74  GWR 85   
Par - GWR 34
Penzance - HSS 29   GWR 56
Plymouth - HSS 54   GWR 57
Reading - GWR 237
Swansea - HSS 64   GWR 5
Westbury - GWR 67
Worcester - HSS 23   GWR 15

Totals:  HSS 386    GWR 1064    TOTAL 1450

So, that's now a 27% HSS and 73% GWR split (from 30/70 last year), but also 94 more qualified drivers in total.

[Phantom]

Excuse my ignorance, what does HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) stand for?

[IndustryInsider]

High Speed Services.  In this context it’s the drivers who used to be based at First Great Western drivers’ depots.  As of about five years ago, a restructuring deal meant all new drivers would be classed as GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) regardless of depot, so the HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) drivers (who have certain extra conditions, such as the Sunday working one, ‘ring fenced’) are slowly dying out.

[TaplowGreen]

This time last year I listed the current driver numbers at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) with the main intention to see the split between HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) grade drivers and GWR grade drivers.  The former can withdraw from their rostered Sundays, with 5 days notice, the latter have 'commited' Sundays they are obliged to work if they don't want to work, but no cover can be found.

The implication being the more GWR drivers, the less of an issue Sunday coverage should become, especially over the summer.

Just to give an idea of driver numbers at each depot:

Bristol - HSS 66   GWR 118
Bristol Parkway - HSS 41  GWR 6
Cardiff - GWR 15
Exeter - HSS 43   GWR 150
Fratton - GWR 34
Gloucester - GWR 60
Oxford - GWR 83
Paddington - HSS 78   GWR 73   
Par - GWR 33
Penzance - HSS 30   GWR 47
Plymouth - HSS 55   GWR 30
Reading - GWR 220
Swansea - HSS 65   GWR 5
Westbury - GWR 65
Worcester - HSS 25   GWR 14

Totals:  HSS 403    GWR 953    TOTAL 1356

So, 30% HSS and 70% GWR - a little more biased towards GWR than I was expecting, but they can have a disproportionate affect on the longer distance routes that seem to struggle the most on Sundays.  You can't cover much of a Paddington<>Penzance service with crews from the GWR exclusive deports of Oxford, Reading, Fratton or Gloucester for example.

So, there's last years totals, and here are this years:

Bristol - HSS 60  GWR 127
Bristol Parkway - HSS 41  GWR 20
Cardiff - GWR 18
Exeter - HSS 41  GWR 160
Fratton - GWR 31
Gloucester - GWR 66
Oxford - GWR 86
Paddington - HSS 74  GWR 85   
Par - GWR 34
Penzance - HSS 29   GWR 56
Plymouth - HSS 54   GWR 57
Reading - GWR 237
Swansea - HSS 64   GWR 5
Westbury - GWR 67
Worcester - HSS 23   GWR 15

Totals:  HSS 386    GWR 1064    TOTAL 1450

So, that's now a 27% HSS and 73% GWR split (from 30/70 last year), but also 94 more qualified drivers in total.

Looking at the number of cancellations and short runnings listed today (and today is not untypical), attributed to "shortage of train crew", you could be forgiven for thinking that there's a lot less drivers around, not almost 100 more than last year.

[ellendune]

Looking at the number of cancellations and short runnings listed today (and today is not untypical), attributed to "shortage of train crew", you could be forgiven for thinking that there's a lot less drivers around, not almost 100 more than last year.

A few points:

1) Train Crew includes drivers, but other staff as well.
2) From my own experience at work I know there is a lot of Covid around at the moment with quite a few people off sick. Working on crowded trains may increase this for train crew.
3) It is holiday season for those who do not need to take holidays out of school term time.
4) Given the prolonged disputes and government cuts, there may well be a lot less good-will so less people willing to do voluntary overtime.

[grahame]

Looking at the number of cancellations and short runnings listed today (and today is not untypical), attributed to "shortage of train crew", you could be forgiven for thinking that there's a lot less drivers around, not almost 100 more than last year.

A few points:

1) Train Crew includes drivers, but other staff as well.
2) From my own experience at work I know there is a lot of Covid around at the moment with quite a few people off sick. Working on crowded trains may increase this for train crew.
3) It is holiday season for those who do not need to take holidays out of school term time.
4) Given the prolonged disputes and government cuts, there may well be a lot less good-will so less people willing to do voluntary overtime.

5) There are a lot more trains around in the wider Bristol area (not carriages - 5 and 4 cars running around now as 2+3 and 2+2) and each needs crewing.

[JayMac]

ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) picket line outside Oxford station. I took a look at their 'Show your support' signing sheet. Four signatures by 2pm. They've been there since 8 30am. I don't think they're winning over the public. Nice banner though.

[nickswift99]

ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) picket line outside Oxford station. I took a look at their 'Show your support' signing sheet. Four signatures by 2pm. They've been there since 8 30am. I don't think they're winning over the public. Nice banner though.

I'd be surprised if many (any?) travellers would sign the sheet given that they probably wouldn't have gone to the station today to catch a non-existent train. If ASLEF want to get written support, they'd be better doing it on days when the public were actually using the station.

[ChrisB]

There appeared to be two or three trains each way this morning to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) fast, but nothing after that. God knows how they got home tonight

[TaplowGreen]

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) have some odd allegiances amongst their senior leadership.

There's Dempsey's well documented affection for Putin,  and now the Union's President  is apparently aligning his members with Hamas terrorists too......

https://twitter.com/habibi_uk/status/1713838531167088959?t=eIDkLgk0upnysp4nIhtJjQ&s=19

[JayMac]

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) have some odd allegiances amongst their senior leadership.

There's Dempsey's well documented affection for Putin,  and now the Union's President  is apparently aligning his members with Hamas terrorists too......

https://twitter.com/habibi_uk/status/1713838531167088959?t=eIDkLgk0upnysp4nIhtJjQ&s=19

Supporting Palestine and the plight of Palestinians is very different from aligning with Hamas.

[TaplowGreen]

Another vote for some windmill tilting........

https://www.rmt.org.uk/about/ballot-results/?s=09

[grahame]

Another vote for some windmill tilting........

As reported on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) ... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67162708

Train passengers are facing another six months of potential strikes, after members of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union voted for further industrial action.

The dispute with rail companies has been going on for nearly 18 months already, with workers calling for better job security, pay and conditions.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the vote provided a "decisive mandate".

There was a 63.6% turnout, with 89.9% voting in favour.

"The government, who controls this dispute through a contractual mandate over the train operating companies, must now allow the Rail Delivery Group to put forward a revised offer so we can work towards reaching a settlement," Mr Lynch said.

"However, if no new offer is forthcoming, we will once again take strike action in defence of our members' livelihoods."

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG^‡(resolve)) said it was "acutely aware" of the impact that the ongoing industrial action was having on passengers, staff and businesses that use the service. It said it wanted to resolve the dispute.

So am I going to have change the subject line to add "2024" and if so what will that prospect do to the railways as a whole as a mass transit system for the future?

[JayMac]

I was seemingly too optimistic when I changed the thread title to include 2023.

Yep. Looks like 2024 is almost a cert now. Action will most likely continue until the General Election.

[eXPassenger]

I was seemingly too optimistic when I changed the thread title to include 2023.

Yep. Looks like 2024 is almost a cert now. Action will most likely continue until the General Election.

Legally that could be January 2025!