So Here It Is, Merry Christmas
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l a n r u o ASLEFThe AssociATED sociETy of LocomoTivE EnginEErs & firEmEn J DEcEmBEr 2017 So here it is, Merry Christmas The train drivers ’ union since 1880 railway enginemen’s tax free saver plans tax free savings plans for Resource Managers, Roster Clerks, Driver Assessoors, Driver TTeameam Managers, Customer Service AssistantAssistants,ts, Driver Instructors, Drivers, Customer Service Managers,gers, TTrainrain Managers, Conductors, Retail Sales Managers,s, First Class Hosts, On Board Cleaners, Controllers, GGuards, Revenue Protection Inspectors & Senior Conductorrs and anyone we’ve missed out who works on the railways or for train operating companies! for further information call uus on freephone 08800 328 9140 visit our website at www.ennginemens.co.ukk or write to us at Railway Enginemeen's Assurance Society Limited, 727 WWashwoodashwood Heath Road, BirmBirmingham,mingham, B8 2LE @RailwayEnginemens Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Incorporated under the Friendly Societies Act 19922 l 7 a 1 0 2 n r E r B m u E c o E J Published by the AASLEFssociATED sociETy of LocomoTivE EnginEErs & firEmEn D Mick: ‘You are the future of rail in this country’ Look to the future now it’s only just begun 4 7 WriTE this column after another week I travelling the country where members told me we are entering an era of News uncertainty in our industry. We go from a proposal for an all-Wales operation, with the wheels and southern rail drivers vote yes to resolution 4 steel back together, to the current franchisee scandi model for scotland?; off the rails 5 leaving the bidding process. renewed calls for a scottish-controlled railway not rejected but not rDg runs scared of rail public ownership 6 12-13 given the courtesy of a response by those from russia with love to the capital Tube 7 currently in power. And the conservative government reneging on promises of mick slams DfT’s ‘catastrophic’ safety call 8 electrification at TPE, the East midlands, and Wales, and seeking to regurgitate old money under the guise of new investment about connectivity to Features Hs2. Then news – that is not news – of the break- up of the gTr franchise. Paul mcLaughlin on moJo; shazia Arshad 10 14 i have an apology to make. i did what we advise on Labour friends of Palestine you not to do; respond to provocation on social media. But, when the rDg put out a tweet about Ellen mellington of cirAs on confidential 11 how successful the freight sector is, it had to be reporting; simon Jenkins on station pubs shown for the lie that it is. success? Tell that to the murder on the orient Express and other 12-13 hundreds of drivers made redundant, displaced, or snow trains coming around the bend forced into premature retirement, and the many others who fear for their futures. The freight sector chris nutty goes to norton at Donington; 14 richard murgatroyd on White ribbon UK is in managed (or mismanaged) decline with no 15 long-term strategy by the focs or DfT. We await Key Worker: Tom Taylor on the thrills 15 final decisions on control period six and the of driving round the nürburgring network rail budget; and fear more cuts, in real terms. Will there be a commitment to do all the works deferred in the last five years first, as indicated in the Hendy report? if there is, look Regulars forward to lots of temporary and permanent speed restrictions! Branch news 16 Despite all the negativity swirling round our Philippa Edmunds wants a level playing 17 industry i remain upbeat because of the unity and field for freight; 100 years of Union solidarity shown by you, the AsLEf members, the obituaries 18-19 backbone strength and protectors of the future of rail in this country. in all sectors – passenger, Letters and classified Advertisements 20-21 freight, Underground, light rail and other Last Word: christmas Books for the 22 undertakings – there have been many challenges festive fortnight and beyond in the last year and, thanks to you, we stood our 22 ground. To all the branch secretaries, local on Track, Prize crossword, AsLEf’s 23 representatives, company councils, and Legal services and change of Address christmas cover: Andy Bunday equivalent, our deepest thanks. To the executive committee and officers, again, when difficult The ASLEF Journal is published every month by: decisions needed to be addressed you stood firm. so, to all in AsLEf, thank you for everything you do AsLEf, 77 st John street, London, Ec1m 4nn Tel: 020 7324 2400 and, in the hope of a brighter and safer future, email: [email protected] website: www.aslef.org.uk here’s to a great christmas and a prosperous and peaceful new year. Editor mick Whelan l dESignEr michael cronin l PrintEr TU ink, 5 Wythburn Place, London, W1H 7BU Yours fraternally advErtiSing AsLEf Journal, 77 st John street, London, Ec1m 4nn. contact Keith richmond on 0207 324 2407 or [email protected] l ClaSSifiEd adS [email protected] or call 020 7324 2400. The acceptance of a Mick Whelan, general secretary display or classified advertisement does not necessarily imply endorsement of that product or service by AsLEf ChangE of addrESS Please post your details to AsLEf, 77 st John street, clerkenwell, London, Ec1m 4nn December 2017 l The ASLEF Journal 3 news AsLEf drivers vote yes to southern deal sLEf drivers have passengers in the region deserve.’ overwhelmingly voted The resolution to the dispute, A yes to a proposed which began in April last year, resolution to the long-running dealt with three different issues – industrial dispute with southern driver only operation, terms and the 18 month long industrial dispute on Southern railways is over railways – 731 (79.1%) voted yes conditions, and pay. and 193 (20.9%) voted no on a ‘The agreement means we will the october 2016, 2017, 2018, rail, and the privatisation of our turnout of 87.1% have a second safety-critical 2019 and 2020 pay settlements, railway, we have negotiated on a mick Whelan, general person on every train covered by dealing with our outstanding pay bi-lateral basis with each secretary, said: ‘our members on this agreement except in claim, and provides a structured company and that is what we southern, after careful exceptional circumstances. That five-year deal through to the end have done here. consideration, and long and hard person will have all the relevant of the franchise.’ ‘After one and a half years of negotiations, have voted to safety competence – including The resolution accepted by our industrial strife we wanted to find accept this resolution to our the skills to evacuate passengers drivers on southern applies only a way forward for our members industrial dispute with the in an emergency. to that company and that who work on the railway in this company. We are pleased with a ‘The agreement also confirms franchise. region, for the passengers who resolution which, we believe, the terms and conditions under ‘it’s important to stress that use southern trains, and for the works for the staff, and the which our members at southern this deal is company-specific and businesses which depend on the company, and we now look are employed. does not have implications for any service. This deal is a resolution to forward to working with southern ‘And the agreement gives our other train operating company on a dispute, not a template for rail to restore good industrial drivers a 28.5% increase in pay Britain’s railway network,’ said Britain’s railway in the 21st relations and deliver the service over the next five years. it covers mick. ‘since the break-up of British century.’ safe to operate. Urgent review needed Instead, staff have QuotE… been left alone and ‘Boris Johnson is like a puppy. The after assault on driver vulnerable in grown-ups have to follow him around, dangerous situations. cleaning up where he last crapped.’ – ASLEF has demanded tried to escape he was This cannot be Jolyon maugham Qc an urgent review of tripped, beaten and allowed to continue. …uNQuotE security at depots kicked. ‘Health and safety where Underground ‘This incident do8 finn Brennan reps are insisting that trains are stabled highlights our security arrangements Just champion overnight after an concerns about the dreadful at all depots be Tosh mcDonald, Ec assault on a Night security of depots consequences. reviewed. We also president, has been asked by Tube driver on the where trains are left ‘This is just one in a want immediate the mayor of Doncaster and Jubilee line. When the overnight,’ said DO8 series of incidents action at locations like the nUm to be the champion driver, taking a train Finn Brennan. ‘There where Night Tube Stanmore where for Doncaster’s mining into sidings at have also been drivers have been drivers are particularly heritage. ‘Basically this Stanmore, responded incidents on the attacked. When the vulnerable. tosh Mcdonald consists of working with the to an automatic alarm Victoria line. If graffiti service was Management need to community, and the artist Lawrence Edwards, after the rear cab door vandals can access introduced, we were act now. Drivers, and to design a statue for the town centre to was opened, he was these locations, there promised that other staff, cannot be celebrate our mining heritage,’ says Tosh. confronted by a group is a real risk that those additional staff and expected to go into of thugs who took his planning serious police resources situations where they radio and sprayed him violent attacks may would be in place to are vulnerable to tWEEtS oF tHE moNtH with paint.