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April 29 2024 11.31pm

Southern Rail Strike - right or wrong

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View gambler's Profile gambler Flag Kent 07 Jan 17 1.54pm Send a Private Message to gambler Add gambler as a friend

Originally posted by Helmet46


There are dangerous conditions because drivers are not working overtime. That is, quite simply, the factual position - irrespective of the reasons why there are not enough drivers.

When they work overtime the platforms are not so crowded and that is part of their contract. They are not working overtime as part of the strike.

Working overtime isn't part of a drivers contract.

 

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View Helmet46's Profile Helmet46 Flag Croydon 07 Jan 17 1.57pm Send a Private Message to Helmet46 Add Helmet46 as a friend

Originally posted by gambler

Working overtime isn't part of a drivers contract.

Ok - But it is an accepted part of their job and they are only not doing it as part of industrial action.

 

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View gambler's Profile gambler Flag Kent 07 Jan 17 2.04pm Send a Private Message to gambler Add gambler as a friend

Originally posted by Helmet46

Ok - But it is an accepted part of their job and they are only not doing it as part of industrial action.

Maybe he company should look to the future and recruit loads of drivers so this can't happen again. But wait looking to the future doesn't happen in the rail franchise system. Oh well. Can't really blame the drivers for choosing not to work overtime. The company have given them that opportunity.

 

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View Helmet46's Profile Helmet46 Flag Croydon 07 Jan 17 2.10pm Send a Private Message to Helmet46 Add Helmet46 as a friend

Originally posted by gambler

Maybe he company should look to the future and recruit loads of drivers so this can't happen again. But wait looking to the future doesn't happen in the rail franchise system. Oh well. Can't really blame the drivers for choosing not to work overtime. The company have given them that opportunity.

You can when they bleat about safety until it suits their agenda.

 

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View 7mins's Profile 7mins Flag In the bush 07 Jan 17 2.12pm Send a Private Message to 7mins Add 7mins as a friend

Originally posted by Helmet46


There are dangerous conditions because drivers are not working overtime. That is, quite simply, the factual position - irrespective of the reasons why there are not enough drivers.

When they work overtime the platforms are not so crowded and that is part of their contract. They are not working overtime as part of the strike.

You are wrong (factually)

Try again.


I'll give you a clue. Overtime isn't part of a drivers contract.

 

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View gambler's Profile gambler Flag Kent 07 Jan 17 2.12pm Send a Private Message to gambler Add gambler as a friend

Originally posted by Helmet46

You can when they bleat about safety until it suits their agenda.

Nonsense. You can't blame them for safety on their days off. The company have left themselves wide open for this through their penny pinching in relying on overtime.

 

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View 7mins's Profile 7mins Flag In the bush 07 Jan 17 2.14pm Send a Private Message to 7mins Add 7mins as a friend

Originally posted by gambler

Nonsense. You can't blame them for safety on their days off. The company have left themselves wide open for this through their penny pinching in relying on overtime.

^
Correct. Relying on O/T was a deliberate company policy during my employment there.

 

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View Only 10 a year!!'s Profile Only 10 a year!! Flag 07 Jan 17 2.15pm Send a Private Message to Only 10 a year!! Add Only 10 a year!! as a friend

Originally posted by 7mins

Just spoke to one of the managers at Southern. They plan to let the strike next week to go ahead. If cracks appear in the strike, they will offer drivers £££. If no cracks, they will talk to ASLEF.
Although the RSSB accepted the CCTV, there seems to be a problem with getting indemnity insurance for drivers involved with incidents (trap n drag). It seems the CCTV is not up to scratch in certain areas. So Southern have had to put platform staff at a few stations and guards back on trains during hours of darkness at a few stations.

Now, I've never heard of indemnity insurance for drivers involved in trap n drag. This is either Southern protecting themselves against problems they think might arise, or something they are offering drivers to put them at ease, maybe they're worried about being sued. We are living in litigious times.


This begs the question RSSB says it's safe... insurance company says it's not. Who to believe?

Drivers aren't happy with it, the trains Southern use have 15 year old CCTV, the cost to upgrade all Southern's trains is prohibitive, so Southern will offer to upgrade it over time, thus spreading the cost. It's not just the installation, it's a logistical nightmare and they don't have enough fitters to maintain their current stock.

Can't see ASLEF agreeing to this, there is no trust there. What has always been a tricky relationship is now bordering on hatred (from both sides)

DfT who have been unwavering in their support, are now starting to grow inpatient.


I bet they are glad you rushed on here to regurgitate what they told you.

 

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View Only 10 a year!!'s Profile Only 10 a year!! Flag 07 Jan 17 2.17pm Send a Private Message to Only 10 a year!! Add Only 10 a year!! as a friend

Originally posted by 7mins

I get your points, but Southern forcing through DOO on January 1st, then admitting on Jan 4th they haven't trained drivers does lend itself to this being rushed in, in a unsafe manner.

Also they insisted the CCTV was fine, but have now said they will upgrade the units with poor quality CCTV and have been unable to insure drivers at certain locations due to poor quality cctv. At these locations Southern have had to restore guards during the hours of 1630-0830. This seems to show that the drivers who said the CCTV was piss poor were right.

The implementation of DOO has been a farce. The manager I spoke to sounded embarrassed by it all, and was worried if him being associated with Southern at the time they f***ed up DOO will leave a professional stain on his CV.

Also Southern are losing drivers, some are taking early retirement others are going to different TOCs. Losing drivers is a financial nightmare. A fully trained driver can save Southern £50,000 a day in fines... cancelling one train costs thousands. Each minute of delay can cost £90 a min. If one train is delayed one min at Hassocks, the train behind will be delayed and the train behind that etc. A 2 min delay can cost Southern nearly 2k. This makes drivers a valuable commodity. Losing drivers will make its way to boardroom level.

Could also be seen as negotiation and listening to the views of the other side.

 

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View Only 10 a year!!'s Profile Only 10 a year!! Flag 07 Jan 17 2.18pm Send a Private Message to Only 10 a year!! Add Only 10 a year!! as a friend

Originally posted by gambler

Nonsense. You can't blame them for safety on their days off. The company have left themselves wide open for this through their penny pinching in relying on overtime.

I bet they would soon be complaining if more drivers were taken on and the overtime they had got used to in their wage packets suddenly evaporated.

 

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View Helmet46's Profile Helmet46 Flag Croydon 07 Jan 17 2.22pm Send a Private Message to Helmet46 Add Helmet46 as a friend

Originally posted by gambler

Nonsense. You can't blame them for safety on their days off. The company have left themselves wide open for this through their penny pinching in relying on overtime.

The only reason they are not working these days is to punish the company (and customers) as part of their industrial action. Let's not pretend otherwise. Sure the company have left themselves open to this but the drivers know the effect this will have on safety.

 

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View gambler's Profile gambler Flag Kent 07 Jan 17 2.30pm Send a Private Message to gambler Add gambler as a friend

Originally posted by Helmet46

The only reason they are not working these days is to punish the company (and customers) as part of their industrial action. Let's not pretend otherwise. Sure the company have left themselves open to this but the drivers know the effect this will have on safety.

No I'm not pretending otherwise. Of course that's the case.

I'll think we'll have to agree to differ though. In my view it's their days off. If the company don't have enough drivers then it's the company's fault. The passengers safety on the drivers days off can't possibly be their fault.

 

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