Letter From the TCCC to the Head of HR,DB Schenker

26 Oct 2011

The Secretary of the DB Schenker Company Council sent a letter on behalf of the Council and wider ASLEF membership,replying to the various correspondance during the recent disute

Dear Fiona,

We feel that as a Council it has become necessary to write to you to raise the concerns of the Traincrew Grades we represent within DBS/International regarding your letter to Traincrew dated 22nd September and previous correspondence. 

Our members find it difficult to understand why in your letter you mention firstly that only 43% percent voted positively for industrial action. Again it seems the individuals right to exercise their democratic right to vote and have an opinion needs to be highlighted at a time when Traincrew at certain depots have had their comments recorded and were hoodwinked into giving information in a underhand and distasteful way which caused distress and anger amongst our members.   

At the recent  meeting with the Chair, Secretary of TCCC and ASLEF Officer Nick Whitehead, we requested that you write to each member on DB Schenker , reassuring them that the recent database gathering had been destroyed and that information held on our members would not be used against them and an explanation that the questioning went further then instructed. Our members now believe this database infringement on their democratic right will be swept under the carpet and that the silence from the Company on the issue speaks for itself. 

Again the letter refers to the ballot relating to one Driver, and improving the C.D.P. We do not have an agreed policy to better and we have never had one, but we have asked for a policy over recent years. It is misleading to inform our members that this is something new or over one member, we as a Council always try to improve working conditions for our members whilst upholding current agreements and will continue to do so.

To continually mention that current and future contracts could be put at jeopardy with the threat of Industrial action or actual Industrial action shows a lack of knowledge of your staff. Over the last 3 years, and still continuing, hundreds of Traincrew have had to leave this company, albeit voluntary due to the economic down turn but also due to the loss of contracts to our competitors.

When it is found necessary to Ballot our members it is not taken lightly or do our members vote in favour of such action with out fully understanding the possible action that may follow. 

We agree wholeheartedly that the meeting on the 19th September was constructive and firmly believe that a negotiated and jointly agreed policy will come from these talks. 

I hope you understand our disappointment that no explanation to the behaviour of certain members of DBSchenker Management was mentioned in your letter and let me assure you that anger and resentment is still out there at their actions and the fact your letter seems to attack those who voted to support its Trade Union.

Yours Sincerely

Michael Finn,

For and on behalf of the TCCC