NR staff strike threat by TSSA

[whole diary]

[Tim]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7905370.stm

Strike threatened over pensions.  I don't know the details so will not ventue a comment on the rights or wrongs

[John R]

A common complaint.

Try to reduce the cost of existing employees' pension benefits and it's unfair as employees have an expectation that can't be reduced.

So you try and reduce the pension benefits of new employees and that's unfair too since it creates a two tier system. The fact that everyone joining the company from a given date will know exactly what benefit they are being offered is apparently irrelevant to the argument.

 

[Electric train]

The fact that everyone joining the company from a given date will know exactly what benefit they are being offered is apparently irrelevant to the argument.

That not quite correct as NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have interpreted the "Protected Rights" part of the 1993 Act one way which when I have spoken to HR^▸ (Human Resources) they got all confused about, there is also the potential of Court action over the "Indefeasible Right and Protected Rights" of the 1993 Act we ex BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) staff were bought out by these clause by the morally bankrupt Major Government which if the Rail Unions had gone on strike over the pensions part of the privatisation of BR would have forced a general election

I'll now get off my soap box and put my toys back in my pram however I am no longer in a Trade Union and a strike is the last thing the industry needs

[Chris from Nailsea]

Indeed, Electric train - and some of the scope for 'different interpretations' of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 was addressed in the Pensions Act 1995, and the Pensions Act 2004.

(Yes, I work in pensions legislation - sorry! )

However, I agree that a strike is the last thing that the rail industry needs right now: that's perhaps why Network Rail are frantically pouring oil on troubled waters:

A spokesman for Network Rail tried to reassure passengers that disruption could be avoided.
"We will continue to talk to the TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) to try to avert a strike," he said. "The contingency plans we have in place will mean that train services will not be affected if a strike goes ahead."

[Electric train]

Indeed, Electric train - and some of the scope for 'different interpretations' of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 was addressed in the Pensions Act 1995, and the Pensions Act 2004.

(Yes, I work in pensions legislation - sorry! )

However, I agree that a strike is the last thing that the rail industry needs right now: that's perhaps why Network Rail are frantically pouring oil on troubled waters:

A spokesman for Network Rail tried to reassure passengers that disruption could be avoided.
"We will continue to talk to the TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) to try to avert a strike," he said. "The contingency plans we have in place will mean that train services will not be affected if a strike goes ahead."

Act I referred to was the Railways Act 1993 the one that set the current rail system fiasco in place