Attacks on FCC drivers are ‘misplaced’, says GS
12 Nov 2009
Drivers in First Capital Connect have this week, without encouragement from the union, chosen to exercise their right not to work on their rest days. Many have been incensed by the company offering no pay increase this year, something that will be the subject of an industrial relations vote later this month. Meanwhile the general secretary has defended these train drivers from ‘ludicrous attacks by politicians who have nothing better to do with their time than fill in expense accounts’.
Keith was especially annoyed with the comments of transport minister Chris Mole in the House of Commons this morning. ‘He laid into these train drivers as being ‘irresponsible’, which is exactly what you’d expect from a Conservative spokesperson. But he’s supposed to be Labour.
‘In which case we might expect him to talk about the irresponsibility of a company that earns £100 million from its rail arm and then seeks to lower the real income of the people who made those profits. Isn’t that irresponsible?
Keith says that the level of political debate on the issue has been ‘pathetic’. ‘We’d have this sorted in no time if they put as much effort into seeking a solution as they do polishing a sound-bite.’
He said the Liberal Democrat’s condemnation of the situation as ‘a 1970s-style industrial dispute’ demonstrated staggering industrial ignorance. The Tories accusations of ‘irresponsible game-playing’ he said were as ludicrous as they were predictable.
Keith said he regretted the way that, encouraged by the media, large sections of the public decided that in every industrial dispute, working people are always to blame.
'The company has brought all these problems on itself,’ he declared. 'Doesn't anyone condemn irresponsible managers?'
Speaking on the BBC this morning, ASLEF’s Mick Whelan said ‘People withdrew their goodwill on overtime on an individual basis because of what is seen as a rather derisory pay offer,’ adding that the union had been arguing for two years for full employment, and having the right number of drivers in place.’
After having worked the Committed restdays (driver commitment to work 10extra days over 12 week period) earlier in the year (which were paid for by TFL and not FCC) and regularly working 13 days on the trot it is nice to get home for a rest! FCC reduced the amount we are paid for working rest days in a previous pay deal so the extra we get is about £2 per hour more. Hardly worth the effort after the tax man has had his share. Never in my time on the railway have I been made to feel so used and undervalued. When the franchise was taken over by FCC we have seen our overtime rate decrease, our Christmas bonus was halved (the first year the other half was given over to charity - no doubt subject to some sort of tax relief to the company), and this year the one family event run by the company was cancelled due to no funds. It was sooo worth the wait for the pay offer (due in April) to be told I and my colleagues are worth...Nothing! This isn't against all the commuters who pay our wages to the company - and it isn't about greed. It is about being paid a value for the hard work we all do, working in OUR free time. It is about being appreiciated. I like working my rest days. I like saving the extra money I earn for a rainy day. Until I feel valued though I will do all those jobs I havn't had time to do at home because I am always in work.
One thing not mentioned during this current situation is FCC's "safety of the line" incidents record,this year alone there has been 11 "spads" on the GN side and I think (not poss) 3 on TL.The number of "fail to calls" "stop short" "wrong side door openings" have all gone up over the last couple of years.To me this says you need time off to relax from the ever increasing pressure were put under during our daily workload. Fcc need to train and employ more drivers. simples...
Drivers do not get time and a half for any overtime, all overtime except Sundays is approximately £1 an hour more and for Sundays we get the grand sum of approx. £2 an hour more. When we work a Restday we have to do the whole shift which can be anything up to 10 hours. So a 35hour week can suddenly become a 45hour week and so on. We went out of way to help the company out earlier in the year so that training could be carried out and when we get rewarded with a 0% payrise people took exception to this and decided not to help the company out anymore. We have been short of drivers on FCC for ages now and have no trainees going through at the moment so we will be short for some time yet ( It takes a whole year to train someone up to drive a train), this is a cockup of great proportions and the blame falls squarely with the Firstgroup management.
After browsing websites, looking on forums and reading peoples remarks on the current situation at FCC, i honestly think passengers know who is to blame for this mess happening on FCC (ie) FCC themselves, so when i saw the report on the current situation on BBC lookeast last night i could'nt help thinking it was a bit onesided and we as driver were being portrayed as greedy and should be greatful for having a job.The point i'am trying to make here is not a single opportunity should be missed to let the passengers know who is to blame here and facts need to be given to the passengers about how this union has helped this company get where it is today (eg) organising committed rest days because FCC managment were'nt capable of doing it to get training done,and all for what no reward of any kind for this year.Well done to Kieth Norman for putting the record staight regarding Chris Mole comments in the House of Commons this is the sought of oppotunity i'am talking about.
OK, point made (sort of). Can you give us a clue when you're going to end the commuter misery?! If it takes much longer, maybe I should start learning how to drive a train...
if the management do not employ enough people to run the service they advertise, how can that be the fault of the employees? this is a total management farce and it is they who should be held to account for all the disruption being caused. they must have known for a long time that they did not have enough people in place and relied on the goodwill of their staff to keep the service running.
This is all a management cock op as usual and we the travelling public are expected to suffer for it. So take action, write a complaint letter to Boris Johnson. Your local Assemly member. Your local MP. Gordon Brown. Your Union leader. And of course the First Capital Connect Mis Managers who should be being disciplined for their failings and suffering demotion or loss of their jobs accordingly. The staffing issues do not come up over night. They will have been seen weeks or even months ago. So WHY was nothing done then? But most of all, Complain to FCC and ask for Compensation. And a refund. They have the funds to pay out compensation and need to pay us, the travelling public for their errors.
if rest days are being worked to ensure services can run then there is a staffing problem and this should be addressed. You should live on what your salary is and not what it can be when you work your rest days, remember that management can dictate who /when rest days are worked and this can split depots. Giving people fulltime jobs is I believe better than drivers having to work rest days to keep service going.Let the public no what dispute is over and they can decide where they stand. Ask if they would be willing to take a pay cut(which is what a pay freeze is) when there company is making millions in profit I think the answer will be a resounding no
I use FCC on a daily basis as a paying commuter (Season Ticket Holder) and totally agree with the drivers actions, shame there are not more like you. What more would you expect from this pathetic government whos only concern is how much expenses they can claim off the taxpayer. FCC management should hold there heads in disgrace, lets just renationalise them and get rid of the current incompetent management team.
has the Government forgotten about its 48 hours working week ruling. FCC are at fault all the way,
I commute daily from East Croydon to St. Pancras I a CANNOT support the action - Sorry guys. This type of action only damages you and damages your reputation. I understand the the job you do is not one any any old Joe of the street can do and you work anti-social hours but 38K for 4 days a week???? I lost my job last year, managed to get another, less well paid this year. There are no pay rises at my firm and I work 50hours plus for less than you on a job that requires a degree level education. My hours are made longer by delayed and cancelled services, slow services and im also treated to 20+ year old trains that break down on a regular basis. Drivers, if you were pushing to have these issues addressed I would be behind you 100%, but you are not.
FCC are absolutely useless at running a business and seem to recruit their management on the basis of the least amount of common sense the better. However I have little sympathy for the drivers either. If reports are correct that they earn £38K for a 36 hour, 4 day week I fail to see what their complaint is? There are many people not getting a pay rise this year & possibly next year too, yet still have to put up with rising train fares for an increasingly apalling service. The fact they still have jobs, are on a very respectable wage and I image free train travel too puts them in a situation enviable by many, especially those for who £7-£8K of their salary is used just getting to work. Please can someone inject some common sense into both parties here?
Good on the Membership, let em have both barrels. Its short sighted management that is to blame.
I commute on the Brighton to Bedford line every day and I support the drivers' action. When a company is making a profit pay freezes (or in reality pay reduction if you take into account inflation) are unacceptable. The current problems show that FCC can't run a decent service without the work and co-operation of their drivers. They should acknowledge this and give them a decent pay rise this year.
Am I missing something? Surely drivers are paid for the hours they do? It isn't clear what the problem is... So far, I've seen virtually no explanation from anyone, just misery for commuters with no clue of how long it will go on for. Why would drivers suddenly decide now (presumably after many years) that they don't want overtime work?
I agree, FCC is run by management monkeys who have brought this upon themselves. I will be writing to them shortly. I commute to Gatwick each day from St Pancras, a journey which is rarely on time for the amount one pays (£13.60). 5 minutes late, is, by any standard, late; apparently not for FCC who count delays past the 10 minute mark. But that’s another debate. Now, FCC, which management monkey decided to cancel most Brighton to Bedford/Luton services last night (Thu 12th Nov), a frequently crowded journey, leaving only the four carriage service for us commuters fight over? It doesn’t take much genius to see if you cancel 3 Bedford trains in an hour, the fourth should at least be an 8 carriage long train, not one half the size… This just shows FCC managers lack efficient business foresight and planning skills, even knowledge on the services they provide. I do hope on Monday your ticketing machines start accepting peanuts as payment. Alex - dissatisfied commuter
Do drivers get paid time and a half for working rest days or more for overtime? Where rest days brought in due to safety concerns? I don't want a train driver working on his rest day if they were put in place for safety! Sounds like the right option is to employee enough drivers for the schedule, make sure drivers have their rest days and work only their contracted days. Overtime cost would only then be payable on sick leave coverage.
TBH your wrong and the company are wrong, NO you don't have to work rest days but you choose to for the money, who suffers in all this people like me and my partner and importantly our children NOT you and certainly not FCC scum! Sort it out but don't USE use, you'll loose all public support , but do you care?
I thank the GS for his words on this. I am an FCC Driver, I don't work rest days, and how is it my fault that the service has fallen apart by drivers taking their days off? Mismanagement is the cause of all of this.