SWT Strike

AlistairW · Post by **AlistairW** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:57 am

Am I right in thinking they are striking because in the last strike they used managers to drive the trains instead?

If so, how ON EARTH is that an excuse to strike? I think ASLEF are being a bit silly and should use they're weight elsewhere. Surely its only going to spoil peoples image of the union.

NiallGray · Post by **NiallGray** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:17 am

AlistairW wrote:Am I right in thinking they are striking because in the last strike they used managers to drive the trains instead?

If so, how ON EARTH is that an excuse to strike? I think ASLEF are being a bit silly and should use they're weight elsewhere. Surely its only going to spoil peoples image of the union.

I am not going to endorse one side or the other in this matter, and yes, it does sound a silly reason to strike, but the unions have lost a lot of their power over the years and the ability to strike is one of the few ways left of getting their message across when their is something they feel is not good for their members.
Look any union over the years (not just railways) and anytime one of them strikes, it gets the message across. With SWT using their driver-trained Managers this affects the Unions' power even more.

So whether or not I agree or disagree with the strike, I can see where they are coming from. At the same time, I can see why SWT decide they must use their managers to run some sort of service.

My job taught me that you must always look at both sides of the story...

n863dwt · Post by **n863dwt** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:17 am

depends on the terms between the toc and the union...

pendoboy · Post by **pendoboy** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:41 am

I believe the origional strike is over the use of taxi's for getting traincrew to work before and after certain hours.

Before privatisation there were many late, early and overnight trains which staff could use to get to work. There was even in some areas staff trains.

However, train operating companies to save money withdrew these and at the time made a commitment to traincrew (who had not got their own transport) that they would provide taxis as required.

Now they want to or have already stopped providing taxis therefore making it extremely difficult for some staff to get to or from work at certain times of the day.

I'm sure the agreement was in place only for London area depots.

I believe it was these depots which were on strike and to try to cover the jobs the TOC used driver managers(driver managers can drive trains in situations and in emrgencies, driving during a strike is not one of the allowed occasions).

This poured petrol on the fire and the strike then spread to other depots across the TOC.

I think most of the facts are there but not all so don't take it as gospel!

johncard · Post by **johncard** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:07 am

What powers do they actually have then? They don't appear to consider the effect on the customers, and consequently their own members, when they decide to strike.

John

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:52 pm

The initial taxi issue was, as i understand it, only an issue because some drivers had moved to ridiculous places like Peterborough on the back of the deal. I think that's unreasonable. SWT weren't withdrawing it, they were reporting the taxi use to the Revenue as a benefit in kind, which, if you've moved 100 miles from your place of work on the basis that they'll pay for your taxi, is a perfectly reasonable thing to do in my opinion. I'm not in possession of all the facts, though.

The current strikes are conveniently happening on a friday and then the subsequent monday, and the last one was the day after a bank holiday. Only a cynic would suggest....

buffy500 · Post by **buffy500** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:43 pm

arabiandisco wrote:The initial taxi issue was, as i understand it, only an issue because some drivers had moved to ridiculous places like Peterborough on the back of the deal. I think that's unreasonable. SWT weren't withdrawing it, they were reporting the taxi use to the Revenue as a benefit in kind, which, if you've moved 100 miles from your place of work on the basis that they'll pay for your taxi, is a perfectly reasonable thing to do in my opinion. I'm not in possession of all the facts, though.

This is the way I understand the issue, and I agree with you that it seems not unreasonable that you don't pay for taxi's 200 mile round trips.

danielw2599 · Post by **danielw2599** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:36 pm

AlistairW wrote:Am I right in thinking they are striking because in the last strike they used managers to drive the trains instead?

If so, how ON EARTH is that an excuse to strike? I think ASLEF are being a bit silly and should use they're weight elsewhere. Surely its only going to spoil peoples image of the union.

Whether the union is just looking for an excuse is anyones guess, but the offical line is that they are not happy about managers driving trains due to lack of experience. For example there are some managers that havent driven a train for some years yet managment think its perfectly allright for them to cover the strike.

If this is the case then why are new (and old) drivers put through such training processes to ensure they are fully qualified and fit for purpose?

Seems to be one rule for one and no rules for managment!!

cardiffcroupier · Post by **cardiffcroupier** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:00 pm

Oh well...

The strike is off anyway. Might it have something to do with a letter some of us received today saying that if the strikes go ahead, the "SWT Family Fun Day" for its staff on the 9th and 10th september would be cancelled.....

Me smell a bit of blackmail!

All of the staff would be punished because "...it would be inappropiate for the company to be seen celebrating when our customers are being so severely disrupted..."

Personally I would have still turned up, but I sent my tickets back last week!

enotayokel · Post by **enotayokel** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:18 pm

It worked in my favour - though will be interested to see if the trainline refunds me the full amound for the tickets I posted off on Tuesday. They inisted I enclosed their mass email to prove that they should waive the admin fee.

Anyway because I've refunded it means I can take up the offer of an extra day in London

johncard · Post by **johncard** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:35 pm

Do you mean still turning up for the SWT Family Fun Day even though it was cancelled, or blacklegging?

EDIT - not the latter I take it!

John

cardiffcroupier · Post by **cardiffcroupier** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:04 am

I definatly meant turning up even if it was cancelled...

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 7:23 am

Can you imagine the press coverage if it got into the public domain?

8th: Drivers strike
9th: Staff Party
10th: Staff Party
11th: Drivers Strike

would *you* cancel the party? As an SWT customer I'd be spitting feathers.

cardiffcroupier · Post by **cardiffcroupier** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:54 pm

Its also a perfect blackmail attempt.

"... If you drivers go on strike, think of all the children that are going to suffer from the ticket office staff to the train cleaners... "

Atomic Systems

SWT Strike

SWT Strike

Re: SWT Strike

Re: SWT Strike