Arriva Trains Wales drivers vote for strike action

[whole diary]

[Super Guard]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Drivers on Arriva Trains Wales have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) union said 85% of members backed the industrial action

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow described the company's offer as "paltry". He added: "It would have left our members out of pocket and which was loaded with strings.

Arriva Trains Wales (ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)))) said it was "surprised and disappointed".

"Our members would have ended up with inferior working conditions for a de facto pay cut.

"Arriva Trains Wales have shown us in the clearest possible terms that they have no wish to properly reward the hard work and loyalty to the staff and are motivated solely by the drive for bigger profits to line the pockets of the shareholders

"That is why we have balloted for industrial action and why our members have delivered this overwhelming mandate," Mr Crown added.

Last month a planned stoppage at Arriva Trains Wales by members of the drivers' union Aslef was called off.

An ATW spokeswoman said: "We are surprised and disappointed that the RMT has chosen to ballot for industrial action, based on a previous pay offer which has since been superseded by a significantly improved offer."

The spokeswoman added that ATW train drivers were represented by two trade unions, ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) & RMT, and that ASLEF had recommended the latest pay offer to its members for acceptance.

[inspector_blakey]

Anyone know roughly what %age of ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) drivers are represented by RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)...? For obvious reasons that's going to be a major factor in how effective (or not) the strike is.

PS Mr Crow not next Wednesday please, I'll be haggard after an overnight flight back from America and I need to get from Swansea to darkest Wales...

[anthony215]

I think most of the drivers are with the  other drivers union, not too sure how many drivers at Arriva Trains wales are members of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers).

[Super Guard]

Certainly in our part of the World, the % of RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) drivers is very small... I'm sure TheSprinterMeister will offer his opinion on the %. 

[Glovidge]

great stuff guys

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12289758

I assume when Bob Crow comes back from his Caribbean jaunt he'll knock a few heads together. 12% payrise over 2 years?? You know I'm in the GMB myself but the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) at times take the proverbial out of the rest of the unions and workers

[JayMac]

Well done to the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) for listing the alternatives should the strike go ahead.

And 12% over two years seems pretty generous (scratch that - extremely generous) in my opinion. Quite how Commie Bob see this as 'an affective pay cut' is beyond me. 

[Super Guard]

One of the comments to the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) story:

I am a train driver for ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))). As everyone is obviously aware, ATW and other UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail franchises are owned by Deutsche Bahn, who are of course owned by the German Government. My union, ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) (who have the collective bargaining agreements for ATW) have been in pay discussions since May 2010. As part of the 2010 pay offer ATW management wished us to relinquish our right whether to work Sunday's voluntarily. Due to the nature of our work, Sunday is usually the only day we see our families. But of course surely, we are just greedy? The time I have with my children is disjointed enough already with shift work without adding to it by having no voluntary opt-out of Sunday working. On the face of it rejecting a 12%, two year pay deal in the current financial climate will seem totally 'Looney' to most but in reality, in comparison with English train operating companies this settlement is very poor. But that's OK. We're Welsh so we expected to take a lower pay rise and be thankful for it and tip our hats to our illustrious business leaders in Berlin. striking is our last resort, not our first. We strike because talks have failed. We don't do it because we can, we do it because our backs are against the wall. If they wish us to lose our voluntary right to work Sundays then they need to compensate us fairly as other Deutsche Bahn British train franchises do

I'm not saying I agree with Bob Crow (heaven forbid), but unless you are aware of all the terms and conditions that are being tied to this 12% rise, then no-one is in a position to comment whether this is a fair rise or not, regardless of economic climate.  On the face of it, 12% rise over 2 years is extremely good, however remember SWT^▸ (South West Trains) have had a similar deal recently agreed with the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) (6.1% rise this year ?), so clearly there is more to it condition wise and not just Bob fancying a strike.

[TerminalJunkie]

Quite how Commie Bob see this as 'an affective pay cut' is beyond me. 

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who don't know the difference between effect and affect
  
• [...]

[inspector_blakey]

As noted elsewhere on the board discussing travel to/from the England-Wales game at the Millennium Stadium on 4 Feb, there's another strike scheduled by ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)))'s RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) drivers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12305392

ATW employs 617 drivers of which 129 are in the RMT, with the remainder in the Aslef union. ATW does not expect the other drivers to cross the picket line.

The way I read this, it would appear that even though RMT have only about 25% of ATW's drivers as members, they can still call a strike that will disable the operation because ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) drivers won't cross picket lines. Have I got this right? I don't know much about industrial relations law but it seems strange that the ASLEF drivers can legitimately refuse to work (so also effectively take protected strike action) when their union is not in dispute.

[welshman]

The voluntary Sunday working is the bargaining chip the unions won't give up.  It is patently absurd that a business has to attempt to offer a seven day service while its employees insist that they cannot be rostered to work Sundays if they don't feel like it.

Since the Sunday service starts later and stops earlier and runs trains at half or even a quarter of weekday frequency, only occasional Sundays are required and those who work Sundays can get a day off in lieu.

It's a pantomime objection.

[Glovidge]

The ballot was allegedly 60 out of 120 RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) members who are drivers voted and of them 56 voted for action. ArrivaTrainsWales has 600 drivers. So 10% of the workforce can bring South Wales to a standstill

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Arriva court plan to prevent Six Nations rail strike

Arriva Trains Wales (ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)))) is considering court action to prevent the rail strike planned on the opening day of the Six Nations rugby tournament.

The strike over pay is due next Friday when Wales host England at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Wales rugby fans have said they expect travel chaos in Cardiff city centre on the night of the game.

Rail union RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) said the pay offer was unacceptable and would leave members with an effective pay cut.

ATW, which operates trains across Wales, confirmed it may seek a court injunction to stop the industrial action by members of RMT.

It said the strike would cause disruption and inconvenience for many thousands of rail passengers and rugby fans.

The train operator has said its offer of a 12% pay increase over two years, taking a driver's basic salary to ^39,117, was "very generous".

The RMT disputes the 12% figure, saying the rise for this year is actually 3.7%, and claims it is an effective pay cut.

A union spokesperson said: "Our dispute is not with the rugby fans of Wales or England, our dispute is with ATW. We decide on our tactics to force the issue with the company. We have to look at all the options. It's forced the company to take this issue seriously. We're not doing this to disrupt people who are going to the rugby."

An estimated 32,000 fans usually use ATW's services on match days, forcing many supporters to make other arrangements.

Pontypridd RFC finance director Peter Howells said: "We've almost filled one coach and we're looking at getting another one. We would normally run one coach but because of the increased demand, we're in the process of organising another."

Wales rugby fan Dave Evans, from Cardiff, said: "The fans are presumably going to try to come down by car. That's going to cause chaos in the centre of Cardiff - that's the point of the strike but that doesn't help the fans."

Talks between the union and the train operator are expected to take place on Monday.

Transport Ieuan Wyn Jones has called on both sides to negotiate.

ATW employs 617 drivers of which 129 are in the RMT, with the remainder in the Aslef union. ATW does not expect the other drivers to cross the picket line.

[inspector_blakey]

Quite how Commie Bob see this as 'an affective pay cut' is beyond me. 

The things that get on my nipple ends, in no particular order:

• People who don't know the difference between effect and affect
  
• [...]

I have to say that I tend to get more irked by people who don't know the difference between its and it's.

The station cafe at Barnstaple has it's own departures screen:

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Wales-England rugby rail strike 'will be disastrous'

The train strike planned for Wales' Six Nations opener against England in Cardiff on Friday will be disastrous for the country's image, says an MP^▸ (Member of Parliament).

The rail union RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) is due to strike, claiming its pay offer from Arriva Trains Wales amounted to a cut.

But Vale of Glamorgan Conservative MP Alun Cairns called on the assembly government to intervene, saying he had "no sympathy" with the train drivers.

Arriva Trains Wales said its 12% pay offer over two years was very generous.

But RMT general secretary Bob Crow said the offer was "unacceptable" and would have left members "with an effective pay cut and which was loaded with strings".

The strike has been called for the day Wales meet England in the evening fixture at the Millennium Stadium.

Mr Cairns, who is also AM for South West Wales, said: "The situation on Friday will be horrendous and impossible for those travelling on trains into Cardiff. Not only will it send the wrong message to the rest of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and potential investors, but it will be disastrous if it isn't stopped. It will be a disaster in terms of PR^▸ (Public Relations), a disaster in terms of organisation and a disaster in terms of health and safety. I hope the assembly government will use all its might to try and force the union to back down."

Mr Cairns also called on Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones to stop "ignoring" the situation and said train drivers needed to "get real" in tough economic times.

Mr Jones has called on both sides in the strike to negotiate to try to avert the action, saying it would cause "unnecessary inconvenience".

But he said the assembly government should not be directly involved in industrial relations matters.

An estimated 32,000 fans usually use the company's services on match days.

On Thursday the train operating firm's operations and safety director, Peter Leppard, said it was "still talking" to the rail union but a resolution before next Friday "does not look hopeful".

Mr Leppard called the strike "completely unjustifiable". He said the pay offer would raise an Arriva driver's basic salary to ^39,117, an "astonishingly good" income in Wales and a "mid table" salary among train drivers in the UK.

But the RMT says staff do not believe the current offer goes "far enough to protect their standard of living".

The Welsh Assembly Government has been asked to comment.

[IndustryInsider]

The voluntary Sunday working is the bargaining chip the unions won't give up.  It is patently absurd that a business has to attempt to offer a seven day service while its employees insist that they cannot be rostered to work Sundays if they don't feel like it.

Believe it or not, this sort of thing still exists within FGW^▸ (First Great Western) driver depots.  Even within the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) depots there is a discrepancy with drivers at Paddington depot having a 'local agreement' that they are not obliged to work Sundays if they don't want to, whereas at Oxford you are expected to work if rostered and the onus is on the individual to try and get their shift covered by someone else if they don't want to work.*

A modern, forward-thinking company, not held back by union dinosaurs would have quashed this sort of thing years ago, but as London Midland found out to their cost last year, having an agreement like this in place does give the workforce an easy option for unofficial industrial action, or as 'welshman' quite rightly puts it 'a bargaining chip' - especially if the agreement is unilateral amongst all the depots of a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company).

* It should be said that in virtually all cases there is somebody else who will do an extra Sunday.