Serco and the Caledonian Sleeper franchise

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the Morning Star .. an update (on a story we appear to have missed) of industrial relations issues on the Caledonian Sleeper.

RAIL union RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) said that the first 48-hour strike by staff calling for safe working conditions on the renowned Caledonian Sleeper service is ?rock solid.?

Workers on board the service have launched a programme of industrial action over working conditions, which they say leave them so fatigued that safety is jeopardised.

The strike began at 5.30pm on Sunday. They will strike again on Sunday this week.

They have banned overtime and rest-day working.

The Caledonian Sleeper overnight service runs between London Euston and destinations in Scotland including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.

It is operated by profiteer Serco.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said ?RMT members are standing rock solid in their strike action on the Caledonian Sleeper, but it remains a scandal that Serco appear to have deliberately provoked this dispute and have never had any intention of entering serious talks.

?Instead of working with the union on a solution to the very real issues of safety and fatigue, they have declared war on staff. That is a disgrace.?

I can't help feeling that calling the company you are striking against is a "profiteer" ... and in any case, aren't they under an emergency management order at the moment, so that significant profits and losses fall to either Westmister or Holyrood?

[broadgage]

I think that the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) should put in a bid to run a rail franchise, and show us how it should be done.
Without the involvement of wicked fat cats, profiteers, privateers, shareholders and other lackeys of capitalism. They should be able to pay greatly improved wages whilst improving services and still showing a modest and "socially responsible" profit.

These modest profits could be applied to worthwhile projects such as educational trips to Cuba in order that the fine modern railways in that workers paradise may be viewed first hand.

[TaplowGreen]

I think that the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) should put in a bid to run a rail franchise, and show us how it should be done.
Without the involvement of wicked fat cats, profiteers, privateers, shareholders and other lackeys of capitalism. They should be able to pay greatly improved wages whilst improving services and still showing a modest and "socially responsible" profit.

These modest profits could be applied to worthwhile projects such as educational trips to Cuba in order that the fine modern railways in that workers paradise may be viewed first hand.

......and a complimentary copy of the Morning Star for all passengers?

[1st fan]

From the Morning Star .. an update (on a story we appear to have missed) of industrial relations issues on the Caledonian Sleeper.

RAIL union RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) said that the first 48-hour strike by staff calling for safe working conditions on the renowned Caledonian Sleeper service is ?rock solid.?

Workers on board the service have launched a programme of industrial action over working conditions, which they say leave them so fatigued that safety is jeopardised.

The strike began at 5.30pm on Sunday. They will strike again on Sunday this week.

They have banned overtime and rest-day working.

The Caledonian Sleeper overnight service runs between London Euston and destinations in Scotland including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.

It is operated by profiteer Serco.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said ?RMT members are standing rock solid in their strike action on the Caledonian Sleeper, but it remains a scandal that Serco appear to have deliberately provoked this dispute and have never had any intention of entering serious talks.

?Instead of working with the union on a solution to the very real issues of safety and fatigue, they have declared war on staff. That is a disgrace.?

I can't help feeling that calling the company you are striking against is a "profiteer" ... and in any case, aren't they under an emergency management order at the moment, so that significant profits and losses fall to either Westmister or Holyrood?

From talking to somebody who knows somebody.....who has a mate/relative who might work on the trains it appears the new trains aren't as good for staff as the MK3 SLEP were. The only staff space with seats is I think in the lounge car and not a pantry (with seat) per car as before. This new space isn't very large and given the pandemic and the need to social distance it makes it difficult for staff to sit down and have a rest on a shift. Given shift patterns etc. this means they haven't got enough rest. I think that's what I was told anyway, it was a while ago before any strike action was mentioned.

[bobm]

According to their Twitter Account, no Caledonian Sleeper services will operate on the nights of the 22nd or 23rd December and 3rd or 4th January with the exception of the London to Inverness via Edinburgh service due to more industrial action.

[grahame]

From talking to somebody who knows somebody.....who has a mate/relative who might work on the trains it appears the new trains aren't as good for staff as the MK3 SLEP were. The only staff space with seats is I think in the lounge car and not a pantry (with seat) per car as before ...

"First Class Train In Russian" - a solution the staff found there  - https://www.facebook.com/simonjwils/posts/2802722966712587

[bobm]

From the Evening Standard

T
he contract with the firm running the Caledonian Sleeper will end in June of next year, the Scottish Government has said.

Transport minister Jenny Gilruth said in an answer to a parliamentary question that a new contract with Serco – the firm that has run the service for the past seven years – does not represent “value for money to the public”.

The franchise will end on June 25 but it is not clear who will take over the running of the trains, which offer services from as far north as Inverness to London.

Existing services and timetables will continue until the end of the contract.

[tomL]

Hopefully something comes up to tie it in more closely with Scotrail/the Scottish Gov.

It doesn’t surprise me that the costs are a bit all over the place with the current arrangements of crews and locos.

The last time I used the sleeper, seated from Fort William back to Edinburgh, I was hoping to travel to Mallaig and back but due to the outbound train being late it was a rather blunt “We’re a different company so won’t be waiting for Scotrail to get back”. Unsure that would’ve happened for anyone hoping to connect with the sleeper from Mallaig that evening.

[grahame]

“We’re a different company so won’t be waiting for Scotrail to get back”.

Bit of a patchy thing to do.  I'll bet they would wait at Rannoch for Scotrail if the 18:23 Glasgow to Mallaig is running a bit late!

[ChrisB]

Serco have been stripped on their franchise & its been nationalised

[grahame]

From Rail Business Daily

The night of Friday 23 June will see the last Caledonian Sleeper services run under Serco’s management when the Caledonian Sleeper franchise expires almost eight years and three months since Serco’s inaugural service departed from Fort William on Tuesday 31 March 2015.

Commenting on the end of the franchise, John Whitehurst, Managing Director of Serco’s transport business, said: “We are immensely proud of everything that we have achieved since we were awarded the contract to run the Caledonian Sleeper in 2014.   During the eight years since Serco’s inaugural services departed, we have brought about massive improvements to every aspect of the service for our employees, our passengers and for Scotland, despite having made significant losses on the contract.  These improvements have been an extraordinary achievement by everyone involved in running the service and we are grateful to everyone for their hard work, and we wish them all good luck and a great future.  We hand the Caledonian Sleeper over to the Scottish Government in great shape, secure in the knowledge that this is now a world class service that represents the best of Scotland.”