23 replies to this topic

[OGJBOT]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ngland-14565803

Unions plan TransPennine Express rail strike on bank holiday
Unions have called two 24 hour strikes on First TransPennine Express (FTPE) trains following a dispute over pay.

The planned strikes will take place on 24 and 26 August.

The second day of the planned action coincides with the bank holiday weekend, Manchester Pride and the beginning of the Leeds music festival.

The rail company operates services between Leeds, York, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull and Newcastle.

Members of the RMT and Aslef unions voted to take the strike action after rejecting a 2.2% pay offer.

Train drivers, conductors and station staff will be advised not to report for work.

Vernon Barker, managing director of FTPE, said: "We are disappointed that our colleagues represented by Aslef and the RMT have voted in favour of industrial action and we remain hopeful that a solution can be found and it can be avoided.

"We would urge the trade unions to join us in further discussions."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said: "The company knows that RMT is ready to negotiate, and if it wants to avoid industrial action it should get back around the table with us and talk seriously about rewarding properly the people who make their profits for them."

[kaytee...]

For effs sake. They would choose one of the busiest times of year to strike  

[The Mean Bean]

Well I don't know the details of this strike, but it's a personal inconvenience so I'm calling it a bunch of greedy w*nkers who want more than they're owed. Shame on them.

[2rare2die]

Am counting on the train to get me from Sheffield to Leeds so this may well be a ball ache. I think they should take a long, hard look at the current economical climate and realise just how lucky they are to be in secure employment, and then quit the whining and get me the hell to Leeds!

[Guess Who]

Looking at that it should be fine for people going on the 25th though

[2rare2die]

Guess Who, on 18 August 2011 - 09:01 AM, said:

Looking at that it should be fine for people going on the 25th though

Got EE so i'll be going down on the wednesday . The first time in years that we're going down on the train and they choose to strike, will not be a happy chap if this happens!

[brain yolk!]

would be a lot of angry festival goers...

[jump]

I think it was 2007 (?) at Reading the trains weren't running on the Monday due to enginering works and they were replaced by buses and I just remember a huge que to get on and once the bus left Reading to the other stops other people would try to get on and they would be angry that there was no space and everyone was hung over and stinking.

[Guess Who]

I think the above is going to happen again on the 29th, bank holiday a lot of trains have engeneering work and a lot of routes around leeds are effected and have buses to replace them

[Dan R]

2rare2die, on 18 August 2011 - 08:40 AM, said:

Am counting on the train to get me from Sheffield to Leeds so this may well be a ball ache. I think they should take a long, hard look at the current economical climate and realise just how lucky they are to be in secure employment, and then quit the whining and get me the hell to Leeds!

You should be fine if you're going direct, First Transpennine don't run from Sheffield to Leeds.
And what bloody shocking is that they've already been offered a 2.2% pay rise! Almost everywhere else it at a fixed rate or don't have secure jobs.

[jump]

Dan R, on 18 August 2011 - 10:33 AM, said:

You should be fine if you're going direct, First Transpennine don't run from Sheffield to Leeds.
And what bloody shocking is that they've already been offered a 2.2% pay rise! Almost everywhere else it at a fixed rate or don't have secure jobs.

Not in the train sector, the other companies are handing pay rises of 5/6% apparently...

Quote

The result shows the strength of feeling among train drivers who are angry at the low wage offer. Train companies Cross Country, East Coast and Virgin, drivers had already received rises of between 5% and 6%. TransPennine is doing all right financially, and it can improve its pay deal. As far as everyone is concerned 2.2% is just not good enough.
We would rather sit around the negotiating table and reach an agreement but we are prepared to consider further action if necessary.

And this is not me agreeing with them just saying it's not like for like in the industry.

[rexclark]

Although I feel for the workers, from a selfish point of view i hope this doesn't happen. We're heading down by train on the Wednesday from Glasgow but our train changes at carlisle and I think it may using FTPE. Could be a right pain in the arse.

[swordfish]

I travel from Chester to manchester, then Manchester to Leeds, I can see things getting confusing when I get to Manchester

[rexclark]

Well turns out our train from Glasgow to Carlisle is a FTPE then our train from Carlisle to Leeds is Northern Rail so we'll just have to see what happens. Can#t say I'm worried, these things are normally resolved and if not they'll still try to get trains running.

[tweety pie]

Although they are striking on the wednesday, according to transpennine's website they will be running a revised service which basically means a hell of a lot less trains and replacement buses.  Yeah its gonna cause chaos but you will get there....eventually.

[mallett]

talking of trains, just this minute realised id booked 3 tickets to reading on wednesday next week instead of thursday. cue me panicking for ages, then finally managing to change the tickets to next thursday. £70 out of pocket, but still, its worth it at the end of the day.

[_rachelbon]

raging about this. i'm going from glasgow to carlisle on a transpennine trin and now i don't feel any excitement at all for going to leeds, i'm just worrying about how i'm going to get there.

i'll be raging if they put me on a replacement bus, i booked the train because i prefer getting the train. i could have got a bus straight to the site if i'd wanted to do that.

[ar1]

All this talk of 2.2 and 5% rises makes my blood boil!!!!

I'm in the 2nd year of a 4 year pay freeze, likely to lose my job at the October and my train ticket to work keeps goign up because of these guys going on strike

[Bobs]

As far as i'm aware we can get a crosscountry train, i hope!

[2rare2die]

Dan R, on 18 August 2011 - 10:33 AM, said:

You should be fine if you're going direct, First Transpennine don't run from Sheffield to Leeds.
And what bloody shocking is that they've already been offered a 2.2% pay rise! Almost everywhere else it at a fixed rate or don't have secure jobs.

Well that's a weight off my mind, but i still feel for the people that it will affect. These unions sure know how to pick their times to threaten strike action!