Catering staff - Southern

[whole diary]

[grahame]

NOT FGW^▸ (First Great Western), and a story from a website that's hardly likely to take the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s side ...

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/southern-catering-staff-sacked/

2 July 2015
RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) Press Office

Southern catering staff sacked at four days notice as passenger services axed.

RAIL UNION RMT today slammed Southern/Thameslink Railways and their catering company Rail Gourmet for ^treating low paid staff like dirt^ as it was confirmed that the contract will be axed on Saturday at just four days notice with staff dumped on the stones in the most disgraceful and brutal fashion.

Southern have said that the sudden termination of the catering contract is a part of the transfer into the new, expanded Thameslink franchise as they intend to run no more trollies on their trains even though they are operating services in excess of two hours from the south coast to London and on a number of other routes. Around 70 staff are involved.

The existing Southern franchise ends 26th and the new merged Thameslink/Southern/Great Northern franchise starts up over the weekend ready for Monday morning with all of the RMT Rail Gourmet members sacked on 25th. In a further ludicrous twist Rail Gourmet have offered consultation on the dismissals on the 27th ^ two days after the staff have actually been sacked.

...

Comment, and quotes from different viewpoints, are encouraged

Added OK - a little wider comment at http://www.cityam.com/220712/thameslink-railway-under-fire-after-catering-staff-sacked-just-four-days-notice

[Timmer]

Not surprised but very sad for those who have just been told they have no job.

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) will be next to lose trolley services (my prediction) when the new franchise starts in a couple of years as we continue to see a railway that gets you from A to B with little else extra.

The public have voted with their feet hence M&S Simply Food stores at major stations are being expanded where possible, along with Little Waitrose stores also appearing at stations.

[didcotdean]

Another newspaper report includes the following:

A Southern spokesman said: ^The popularity of station coffee shops and food outlets has steadily increased as we have invested in and developed our stations over the past few years with the majority of passengers opting to purchase food and drinks before they board their train.

[PhilWakely]

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) will be next to lose trolley services (my prediction) when the new franchise starts in a couple of years as we continue to see a railway that gets you from A to B with little else extra.

As a regular Exeter/Pinhoe to Waterloo traveller, I would be very worried if I lost the trolley service as I usually travel light and get my breakfast/supper from the trolley. Not sure what the Weymouth folk receive, but if it is the same, then I would feel for them also.

At a very slight tangent..... I recently completed a journey on the Trans-Mongolian from Moscow to Beijing (over several 'legs'), and although there were restaurant cars on all of the trains, they were seldom used, with pax prefering to jump off at intermediate stations and purchase from the myriad of pedlars on the platforms whilst getting hot water from the on-board coal fired samovars in each coach

[broadgage]

Restaurants are replaced by buffets
Buffets are replaced by microbuffets
Microbuffets are replaced by trollies
Trollies are replaced by nothing.

It is called progress.

[paul7575]

"...staff dumped on the stones in the most disgraceful and brutal fashion."

Never use one word when 11 will do.   I wonder what notice period was written into Rail Gourmet personnel's contracts?

Paul

[Chris from Nailsea]

...
Trollies are replaced by nothing.

It is called progress.

Well, reading the posts above, it seems that on-board trollies have been superceded, if not replaced, by a plethora of retail outlet franchises at stations. 

That is apparently 'progress', in the harsh real commercial world.  I'm not saying that I agree with it, mind. 

[IndustryInsider]

Certainly choices at most of the larger stations have progressed massively in recent years.  I remember when the first of the AMT coffee stalls started appearing on the stations back in the mid-90s and the old options of something distinctly average* from Travellers Fare and John Menzies have been transformed since then with all sorts of retailers now providing a wide range of 'on the go' food at prices and quality that the on-board offerings seemingly can't match.

*  Mind you, I did used to love a Travellers Fare 'Brunch Muffin' in my youth!

[Chris from Nailsea]

*  Mind you, I did used to love a Travellers Fare 'Brunch Muffin' in my youth!

Your guilty secret is safe with us here! 

Thinking further about the wider subject: I can see that, from a train operator's point of view, allowing station platform retail outlets to offer items which could previously have been sold from a trolley on board a train does make commercial sense.  The trolley would only really be available once the train had moved off, while the outlets on the platform / concourse / transfer deck (or whatever you want to call it) will be able to sell a wider range of items at whatever times are appropriate - well in advance of the train boarding time, for example.

Again: I'm not saying that I necessarily agree with that view. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

I wonder what notice period was written into Rail Gourmet personnel's contracts?

I don't know - but I suspect that any employer's announcement of 'immediate compulsory redundancies' probably overrides any such notice period being given? 

[ChrisB]

Pay in lieu of notice is perfectly acceptable in any case

[Brucey]

There are clearly reasons why passengers prefer station outlets over on-board catering.  The biggest reason is that you are guaranteed to get some food and drink.  With on-board catering being sporadic in some cases (for whatever reason, or train too busy for the trolley to come through), it is no wonder people are choosing to bring their own food.

The other factor is cost.  I definitely see more people with their home-made packed lunch in recent years than just a few years ago.  You can pick up a reasonable sandwich at Poundland for ^1, Tesco for 85p+ or make your own at home for a fraction of that.  A bag of crisps, chocolate bar or can of Coke from a multipack is much cheaper than an item from the trolley; used to keep multipacks of these in my office desk drawer for the commute home.  I've also taken various things like cold pasta in tomato sauce which are also very cheap to make.

[Surrey 455]

I also tend to buy my food and drink at either the station or outside it for the reason Brucey describes

Similarly on flights, I will usually buy a meal deal(s) at Boots airside rather than wait for a pricey trolley service to turn up. It's not always possible to find food I want at overseas airports though so I may use the trolley on return flights.