This current problem with Northern Rail in the North West goes back about 20 years when their predecessor offered drivers and guards something like a 25% basic pay rise to sign a more ‘modern’ contract. It did away with most of the favourable terms in the old British Rail contracts.
For guards in particular it offered vastly reduced enhancements for working overtime, coupled with no commitment to work Sundays.
I don’t blame the staff at all. Who’s not going to vote for a 25% pay rise? Particularly as a large proportion of them would have been retiring in the next decade or so.
But it created a huge potential problem, which the management at the time should have foreseen but didn’t. And we’re seeing the results of that failure now.
Derby day on a Sunday. The majority of guards in the Manchester area will support either City or United. No compulsion to work. And no great financial incentive to do so.
What would you do?
To be fair that's like saying most shop workers like a good Xmas so if they didn't turn up for work it would be understandable.
We need people who are compelled to work if they are not compelled they are being paid too much, a lot of excuses but nobody fixing the problem.
Great idea, the services can't run because there aren't enough staff, and you want to sack what they have!totally shite train service as usual.......every week, every year....worst train service in Europe....cancelled my trip into town this afternoon as no trains.. (again!!) had to drive to Anfield the other week...no trains.....sack them, recruit new drivers from abroad....we need a a public train service.
“Not turning up” and declining to work a booked day off aren’t really the same thing.
And I’m not sure that a long term solution if you’re running a company that relies on Sunday trade, is to pay your staff such shit wages that they need to work overtime to feed the family and pay the bills.
Had to get Taxi from Nuneaton.totally shite train service as usual.......every week, every year....worst train service in Europe....cancelled my trip into town this afternoon as no trains.. (again!!) had to drive to Anfield the other week...no trains.....sack them, recruit new drivers from abroad....we need a a public train service.
You are being quite generous actually, they seem to be very enthusiastic and on the ball when it comes to the hordes of ticket checkers everything else they are beyond shite.Northern Rail are a shit show. The crew shortages they are citing has been an issue for months. When they are running trains, they usually only put on a couple of carriages. Northern Fail is ran by a bunch of incompetent wankers.
A lot of ex-public sector companies gave handsome pay rises to buy out “Spanish Practices”, silly allowances (breakfast allowances, travelling time, height allowance etc). I signed a contract that gave me a big rise and bonus arrangement and shares, but gave up payment for excess hours etc and spent the next thirty years working 55 hours a week !“Not turning up” and declining to work a booked day off aren’t really the same thing.
And I’m not sure that a long term solution if you’re running a company that relies on Sunday trade, is to pay your staff such shit wages that they need to work overtime to feed the family and pay the bills.
totally shite train service as usual.......every week, every year....worst train service in Europe....cancelled my trip into town this afternoon as no trains.. (again!!) had to drive to Anfield the other week...no trains.....sack them, recruit new drivers from abroad....we need a a public train service.
Great idea, the services can't run because there aren't enough staff, and you want to sack what they have!