The Ticket Collector

FGW Train Maintenance and Cleaning staff to strike

First Great Western staff based at Bristol, Reading, Oxford, Penzance, Exeter, Plymouth, Swansea, and Old Oak Common in London will not book on for shifts that begin after 00:01 on May 18 for 24 hours.

This is due to the company’s refusal to pay an enhanced rate of pay for overtime and or to concede a 35-hour week at the Reading and Exeter depots.

“The vast majority of FGW engineering and cleaning staff are still paid the flat hourly rate for their overtime, rather than the time-and-a-quarter enjoyed by other FGW staff, including train-crew and station staff,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“Most FGW staff already work a 35-hour week, but we have some engineering grades at Reading still on 42 hours - effectively working an extra day a week for nothing.

“For months we have tried to get the company to recognise that engineering grades have the right to the same treatment as other grades, but the company has dug in its heels and that is an absolute disgrace.

“The company has now tried to confuse matters by pretending that what is a straightforward case of equal treatment can only now be resolved in wider harmonisation talks, and that is simply not good enough.

“The company’s refusal to budge leaves us with no alternative but to strike, and the RMT executive has today agreed that the members involved will strike for 24 hours on May 18,” Bob Crow said.

Fares ‘revision’ 18th May.

On the 18th May the new revised fares will be coming into effect on the National Network. Some companies have withdrawn some tickets and replaced them with more expensive tickets.

In January 2008 the overall allowable average increase for regulated fares Peak day and Season Tickets was 4.8%, with variations by flow and ticket type up to a maximum 9.8% increase.

Some Train Companies did not use the full yearly increase and therefore will be increasing the tickets to the yearly maximum this time around.

National Express East Coast (NXEC) will be increasing their already expensive tickets some more in May. We have also received reports (from an unnamed travel centre clerk) that they will charge everyone without an advance ticket a seat reservation charge of £1 for each seat reserved. Is this to stop the season ticket holders reserving seats, or is it to pay for for a new seat reservation printer so they can finally put out reservations 07:20 at Peterborough and late night services out of Kings Cross?

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Ticket names to change.

As if you were not already confused by the huge number of different ticket names, the powers that be have decided to change the names yet again.

So say goodbye to the SuperSaver, the Saver, the Cheap Day Return, the Standard Day Return and say hello to Super Off-Peak and Anytime.

The new ticket types are as follows.

Severe weather warning - Friday 1st and 2nd February.

Severe weather conditions have been forecast by the Met Office for the UK for Friday 1 and Saturday 2 February. The weather warning is valid from 0001 Friday 1st until 0600 Saturday 2nd February.

The Met Office continues to forecast colder weather to spread southwards across the UK during Friday and at first on Saturday giving heavy snow in places. Areas most at risk include Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland from early on Friday, extending to northern and central England and much of Wales on Friday afternoon, and perhaps into southern areas on Friday evening. Northern areas could see accumulations of 10cm of snow, with up to 20cm on higher ground, and blizzard conditions and snow drifts could occur in strong winds. Southern areas could see accumulations of 2 to 5cm of snow by Saturday morning. Disruption to transport and power networks is likely and the public are advised to take extra care. This warning will be updated by 1200 Friday 1st February unless superseded by Flash warnings.

FGW - Fare Strike Monday 28 Jan 2008 to go ahead.

In the next few hours, campaigners from More Train Less Strain (MTLS) will be getting prepared for another fare strike on First Great Western.

The campaign list now includes: Bath, Bristol, Bristol Parkway, Oldfield Park, Keynsham, Yate, Yatton, Burnham and Highbridge, Frome, Trowbridge, Warminster, and Bradford on Avon. On Sunday 27th January it was announced that the fare srtrike had spread to Plymouth and Penzance and also to Severn Tunnel Junction in Wales.
Travellers at Cardiff and Swansea have also expressed an interest to join the fare strike.

Collect your Fare Strike ticket from outside your station on the morning of the strike. Tickets will be available from 07.15 hrs to 08.45 hrs.
Show your Fare Strike ticket on the train and hand it in at the barrier at Temple Meads instead of your valid ticket. It is up to you how you access the platform.
Meet up with other Fare Strike ticket holders on the train. If you have some spare Fare Strike tickets, ask others on the train if they are willing to use them too.
At your destination, go through the barriers with other Fare Strikers. Avoid confrontations with staff – they are on our side.

The TV and press will be taking a keen interest in how the strike goes, and will be at some stations and on some trains.

Campaign organiser Mark Richardson says “FGW recent offer of increased compensation for annual season ticket holders is once again playing the public relations game but offering very little. Commuters want a decent service at a fair price instead of increased compensation for some and a continued poor service for all. Frankly, we have lost patience with FGW and would seriously question their ability and commitment to running a train service. They have become the laughing stock of the train industry and it is now time that Ruth Kelly seriously considers removing their franchise.

Thousands of passengers from Bristol, Bath and surrounding commuter towns will be taking part in this day of public action to demonstrate that their patience with FGW has come to the end of the line. FGW service has continued to deteriorate since taking over its new franchise in December 2006 despite putting up fares by around 20% over the same period.”

More train Less Strain organiser Tony Ambrose says “Passengers have had to put up with short trains that were too crowded to get on, unreliable thirty year old rolling stock and staff shortages. According to independent rail watchdog Passenger Focus FGW has the highest rate of cancellations and delays in the UK. We have had endless apologies and excuses from FGW management and yet we still have some of the highest fares and worst service in Europe. We would urge all train travelers to visit our website at www.moretrainlessstrain.co.uk and join the protest on Monday.

The fare strike has spread and protests will now take place at Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oldfield Park, Keynsham, Yate, Yatton, Burnham and Highbridge, Frome, Trowbridge, Warminster and Bradford on Avon. Fare strike tickets will be handed out at these stations between 7.00 and 8.45. Passengers will be encouraged to show their fare strike ticket to station staff instead of any valid ticket that they may carry.”

First Great Western strike suspended

As predicted by this blog on sunday, the FGW strike has been suspended pending further talks with FGW managment.

FGW has agreed not to use managers to drive or work trains as guards.

Strike on First Great Western - Sunday January 20th 00:01 for 48hours

We are reciving reports that FGW managment have admitted they are wrong and are looking to meaningfull discussions. The Strike should be called off on Tuesday. Stay tuned for updates.

Press Release from RMT

MORE THAN 600 RMT guards and train drivers at First Great Western will strike for 48 hours from a minute after midnight on January 20 after voting overwhelmingly for action in disputes over breakdowns in industrial relations and the use of managers to guard and drive trains.

The RMT executive this afternoon also agreed to ballot the union’s more than 1,500 other members at the company over similar issues.

Bob Crow said “After considering reports from our people on the ground in First Great Western the RMT executive agreed that our guard and driver members will strike on Sunday January 20 and Monday January 21,” general secretary Bob Crow said this afternoon. First Great Western have angered our members across the company with heavy handed and confrontational management and by undermining our members’ jobs.
We have also therefore agreed to put in place a ballot of more than 1,500 RMT members in all other grades across the company and to urge them to vote for action over what has become a comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations.”

In separate ballots that closed today, drivers voted by 62 (81.6%) to 14 (18.4%) to strike, and by 67 (88.2%) to 9 (11.8%) for action short of strike, while guards voted by 229 (71.1%) to 93 (28.9%) to strike, and by 289 (89.5%) to 34 (10.5%) for action short of strike. The union’s executive will meet shortly to consider what action to call.