XC changes from 28/11/2021

[black and decker boy]

It seems that industrial action between XC and ASLEF (end of RDW working agreement) on 28/11/21 will see the entire XC HST fleet stood down to warm store. Single voyagers will be used instead.

 

At the same time, seemingly due to staff shortages, many services operated by XC 170s are being reduced / cancelled.

 

A very different XC service awaits an unsuspecting public next week. XC have published very little but do have a note on their journey finder to expect services busier than usual here: XC disruption notice

 

 

[w124bob]

I noticed this week two departures from Piccadilly terminating short, Tuesday 10.27(8 car) terminating at Reading, and another terminating at Banbury. It's been ASLEF policy for as long as I was a driver to try and limit RD working and it's not the first RD dispute on XC. I'm thought XC only operated 2 HST diagrammes plus a spare any way.

Edited November 26, 2021 by w124bob

[woodenhead]

A much better update on the issue than on some other forums/YouTube yesterday where it was a rumour that XC had stood down both the HSTs and the 170s for good with three days notice and no replacement units.

[roundhouse]

Just now, woodenhead said:

A much better update on the issue than on some other forums/YouTube yesterday where it was a rumour that XC had stood down both the HSTs and the 170s for good with three days notice and no replacement units.

My other half said that she saw those comments on the York livecam chat this morning and was just telling me whilst reading this thread.

[balders]

Yes. There will be confusion and delay.......and it's not just the punters that are confused.

 

And potentially expect far more disruption if other staffing and safety issues are not addressed correctly....

 

Regards

 

Guy

[great central]

Hmm, cost cutting without informing the travelling public properly because XC has been instructed from higher departments?

Somewhat like the 'information' given to the public through EMR 'official channels'.

[rab]

For the uninitiated, what is RD working please?

[4630]

9 minutes ago, rab said:

For the uninitiated, what is RD working please?

It stands for ‘Rest Day’, as in RDW means Rest Day working.

[rab]

5 hours ago, 4630 said:

It stands for ‘Rest Day’, as in RDW means Rest Day working.

As soon as I hit the 'Submit Reply' button,i t occurred to me that might be what it was.

Thanks for confirming.

 

It's great having so many people linked to the big railway on this forum,

but sometimes we non-railway folk get lost in the jargon.

That 's one more bit I've learned.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by rab

[phil-b259]

8 hours ago, great central said:

Hmm, cost cutting without informing the travelling public properly because XC has been instructed from higher departments?

Somewhat like the 'information' given to the public through EMR 'official channels'.

 

Well with the DfT imposing recruitment freezes / demanding frontline costs be cut wherever they can in the rail industry its very likely that XCs woes have come from above.

 

Given we are all supposed to be 'very grateful we still have a job' according to Mr Shaps....

[Rivercider]

59 minutes ago, rab said:

As soon as I hit the 'Submit Reply' button,i t occurred to me that might be what it was.

Thanks for confirming.

 

It's great having so many people linked to the big railway on this forum,

but sometimes we non-railway folk get lost in the jargon.

That 's one more bit I've learned.

 

 

During my time as a roster clerk for EWS (1999-2007) we were utterly dependent on RDW (Rest Day Working) to cover all the rostered turns, I think the agreement about how it should be done changed soon after I came into the job. I quickly worked out who was often up for overtime working, and was grateful to them. On weekends and bank holidays you would regularly see the usual suspects on duty!

 

cheers

[DY444]

16 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

 

Well with the DfT imposing recruitment freezes / demanding frontline costs be cut wherever they can in the rail industry its very likely that XCs woes have come from above.

 

Given we are all supposed to be 'very grateful we still have a job' according to Mr Shaps....

 

Hmm I'm not sure it's coming "from above".  There are reports elsewhere that ASLEF has taken umbrage at what it sees as Arriva taking a somewhat cavalier attitude when it comes to sticking to the terms of the previous agreement, and ASLEF's objection in principle to RDW is long held.  The same reports think it is possible it will be sorted out fairly soon which doesn't suggest a strategic intervention from "above".  Whilst it is now tempting to attribute everything that happens to "above" this could just be an old fashioned industrial dispute. 

[C126]

As a Cross-Country commuter, my thanks to you all for your contributions to this thread.  All details gratefully received.  I will get drafting a letter to the local M.P.

[Oldddudders]

No union supports RDW. No rest-days worked means more staff have to be employed, means more union members. A % of the membership will disagree, and be only too happy to work rest-days to help pay the mortgage....

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by Oldddudders

[rodent279]

Damn shame, I have to be in Brum on Thurs/Fri and was hoping to return to Bristol on the afternoon HST.

[Oldddudders]

2 hours ago, rodent279 said:

Damn shame, I have to be in Brum on Thurs/Fri and was hoping to return to Bristol on the afternoon HST.

We did NS to Newton Abbot on an HST last Monday. In a long weekend trip from Torquay to Crewe and back, we had IEP, 220, 221 (failed at Wolverchopper), Pendo, 350, HST and 166. All the fun of the fair! 

[brushman47544]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

We did NS to Newton Abbot on an HST last Monday. In a long weekend trip from Torquay to Crewe and back, we had IEP, 220, 221 (failed at Wolverchopper), Pendo, 350, HST and 166. All the fun of the fair! 

That’s an awful lot of changes for what previously would have been possible with a maximum of one change in either direction.

[Oldddudders]

5 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

That’s an awful lot of changes for what previously would have been possible with a maximum of one change in either direction.

Indeed so. It makes Sherry, who is not terribly mobile, wonder whether risking the M5/6 isn't easier, even thought the trains are free for us!

[phil-b259]

On 28/11/2021 at 09:13, DY444 said:

 

Hmm I'm not sure it's coming "from above".  There are reports elsewhere that ASLEF has taken umbrage at what it sees as Arriva taking a somewhat cavalier attitude when it comes to sticking to the terms of the previous agreement, and ASLEF's objection in principle to RDW is long held.  The same reports think it is possible it will be sorted out fairly soon which doesn't suggest a strategic intervention from "above".  Whilst it is now tempting to attribute everything that happens to "above" this could just be an old fashioned industrial dispute. 

 

RDW is a sign an establishment is understaffed!

 

While a limited amount of RDW is inevitable, the way it has been relied upon in certain sections of the railway industry belies deeper problems and its no surprise ASLEF are kicking up a fuss over it. So yes it might well be an old fashioned industrial dispute - but there are darker forces at work here.

 

The REAL solution to the problem is of course to take on more staff something the DfT are actively preventing TOCS / NR from doing in a bit to make the railway industry 'more sustainable in the post Covid climate with reduced ridership'.

[phil-b259]

22 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

No union supports RDW. No rest-days worked means more staff have to be employed, means more union members. A % of the membership will disagree, and be only too happy to work rest-days to help pay the mortgage....

 

 

 

 

 

There will always be a few 'gobblers' at any depot - ones who either have few family commitments / limited social life, expensive hobbies / tastes or with significant debt.

 

The majority don't mind doing the odd bit of extra here and there when it suits but still value a decent work - life balance.

 

Then there is a minority who won't do anything above their contracted hours either because they are already loaded / happy with what they get or are taking a principled stance on the issue.

 

Thus the amount of RDW needs to be kept in check - too much of it and that majority willing to do it will shrink rather quickly....

[Oldddudders]

ISTR the Hidden Enquiry after Clapham - already 33 years ago - was hot on extra hours worked and rest periods, determining that overwork and associated pressures might have led to the fatal errors committed by an S&T New Works installer. I assume those principles are still to be adhered to in the privatised railway. 

[phil-b259]

45 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

ISTR the Hidden Enquiry after Clapham - already 33 years ago - was hot on extra hours worked and rest periods, determining that overwork and associated pressures might have led to the fatal errors committed by an S&T New Works installer. I assume those principles are still to be adhered to in the privatised railway. 

 

They are - but the hidden enquiry limits are a the minimum standard. Any sensible employer will realise that keeping the workforce happy, avoiding burnout and providing a degree of slack in case of issues like long term sickness means the offering needs to be considerably better than simply sticking to what they can legally get away with.

 

Fortunately, unlike the rest of the employment world, on the railways the Unions have considerable clout and can usually avoid a race to the bottom as it were. This is something the Governing party hate of course as it prevents the sort of cost cutting and squishing of workers demanded by unbridled belief in 'the power of the free market' ideology which is why we see the screws being tightened from above...

 

On our side (S&T) whole swathes of shifts are going uncovered / because we have no staff - and those which we do have are getting extremely pissed off with plenty looking for ways out! The only way we can obtain extra staff is pinching them form other regions / departments, which of courses only increases shortages elsewhere. This is despite the chaotic ban on working with lookouts during the day (none of the pre-requites like re-organising the maintenance schedules being sorted before the ban came into effect) meaning more work needs to be done in the limited overnight accessible.

Edited November 29, 2021 by phil-b259

[PenrithBeacon]

Are those doing RDW paid an enhanced rate?

[Joseph_Pestell]

6 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

ISTR the Hidden Enquiry after Clapham - already 33 years ago - was hot on extra hours worked and rest periods, determining that overwork and associated pressures might have led to the fatal errors committed by an S&T New Works installer. I assume those principles are still to be adhered to in the privatised railway. 

 

Not long after Clapham, a relative of mine was working on the railway with contractors. There were many abuses going on at that time. Not sure about hours but there many working without the requisite qualifications/paperwork.

[Rivercider]

10 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

ISTR the Hidden Enquiry after Clapham - already 33 years ago - was hot on extra hours worked and rest periods, determining that overwork and associated pressures might have led to the fatal errors committed by an S&T New Works installer. I assume those principles are still to be adhered to in the privatised railway. 

I was fortunate that by the time I had become a roster clerk for EWS the rostering had been computerised, (so less pencil and eraser required). As long as we input the correct roster, link, and diagram information in properly the system would flag up any potential breaches of Hidden in advance. Obviously on the day a driver might end up being extended over the maximum in emergency, but there were procedures to cover that.

 

cheers