Heart of the Union: Nick Whitehead Graham Walker Steve Wright Steve Meredith
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ASLEFJOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021 The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen Free to members Heart of the union: Nick Whitehead Graham Walker Steve Wright Steve Meredith Chris Proctor walks the walk with the rent boys of politics; Julian Vaughan : it’s time for the Labour Party to adopt PR; The train drivers ’ and ASLEF’s new website and database is up and running union since 1880 railway enginemen’ s tax fr ee saver plans tax fr ee savings plans for anyone who works on the railways... we don’ t mean just train drivers..! tax fr ee policies fr om 70p per day , £5 per week and £20 per month for further information call us on freephone 0800 328 9140 visit our website at www.enginemens.co.uk or write to us at Railway Enginemen's Assurance Society Limited, 727 Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, B8 2LE @RailwayEnginemens Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authorit y. Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authorit y. Incorporated under the Friendly Societies Act 1992 ASLEF GS Mick Whelan JOURNAL Putting up fares The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen won’t raise footfall ‘It’s good that they are passengers again, rather on the railway than customers, but…’ OR all of you who, for a year and a half, have gone about your job each day putting the travelling public – key workers, especially – and our communities, F and nation, first – moving food and medicines at the most difficult of times – there are now two major concerns (although I’m sure there are many others, as well). First, where is the recognition and even a thimbleful of thanks? We should not be surprised, though. Look at how those heroes of the NHS, and other frontline workers, have been treated. Where is an acknowledgement of all those in shops, transport, care, and other occupations too numerous to mention? A young Nick Whitehead in 1982 and running D4 today Second, let’s contract the industry, putting up fares to make it less attractive to use, whilst talking about regaining confidence and footfall, with faux initiatives around News flexi season tickets that are, in reality, more expensive. Reliance on a changing balance between commuter and business travel, and leisure travel, cannot be relied upon. l ASLEF in action at a virtual TUC this month 4 Because when people can travel abroad again easily they will revert from the l Finn Brennan was ready to rock for LBC but 5 ‘staycation model’ unless we can give them a real offer as an industry that is affordable, the show’s presenter was too busy playing flexible, and long-term to create long-term demand for rail travel here in the UK. tennis. Off the Rails: Iain Dale is told to take The odd loss leader is not enough and there is nothing, at this time, arising out of a bus; Sir Robert Mark, Cressida Dick, and Williams that allows or facilitates the change from the old mentality – where certain corrupt coppers; Angus Lapsley drops a brick; tickets can only be used on certain operators – even though the government now bears and Nicholas Soames questions his grandpa the revenue risk. It’s nice that we are calling people passengers again – rather than customers – but, in our experience, that translates into lower, not better, standards. l ASLEF’s delegates on track at London Labour 6 Although we would love to be proved wrong… We will always recognise the government for stepping in quickly when the l Scotland falls silent to remember Stonehaven 7 industry model – created by them, and which was already collapsing – gave up the l The government needs to step up for Eurostar 8 ghost under covid, but it is what the people of this country had a right to demand and Features expect. After all, the people of this country have paid for every inch of rail, every station, and every new coach or train, only to see those railways – paid for by the many – l Danielle Bett responds to Hussein Ezzedine’s 10 exploited for a private profit by the few. And it remains a people’s railway despite the – article on the plight of the Palestinians and now recognised, even by the Tories – abject failure of privatisation. explains why Israel has the right to exist When we ask what the Prime Minister or Transport Minister mean by keeping the best of the privatised railway we cannot get a definitive answer, other than the l Jen Thornton on ASLEF’s new website 11 snide comment, ‘Well, you lot have done rather well out of it’. If we, as drivers, are the only success of privatisation then we should remind anyone who asks that we paid for DO4 Nick Whitehead, who steps down this 12-13 l everything we have with productivity and flexibility. No one gave us anything. Why month after 18 years in position, reflects would they? But then the privateers – who say they believe in a free market – do not on his life on the railway and in this union believe their philosophy applies to workers who only have our time and skills to sell! Eleven years of austerity, followed by covid… I believe we are going to need all our l Gregor Gall detects the dark shadow of an 14 authoritarian hand in this Tory government strength, unity, and resilience for the challenges ahead. We are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and the richer nations are l Chris Proctor on political spin doctors – who 15 going to have to help with the vaccination of the poorer nations or we will never get Ken Follett calls ‘the rent boys of politics’ back to a degree of normality. Normality seems to be the new watchword in our industry with many seeming to think we can return to all pre-pandemic arrangements Regulars tomorrow. Well, we can’t. Every process we have put in place, according to the ORR standard that has to be reassessed, and that is to a standard better than ALARP, to see if l Branch Lines 16-17 it should be retained and, of course, we should also have the opportunity to do better if l Obituaries 19 required. We finally have train and cab cleaning to the standard it should have always l Letters 20 been and my belief is that it should remain as covid is not gone. Mandatory wearing of masks should have been retained across all forms of rail and confusion will happen in Julian Vaughan, Tube train driver and two-time 21 l multi-user stations, especially with Tube or metro connectivity, and we can already see Labour candidate, explains why he wants the party the drop in standards of the travelling public on a daily basis. Let’s not rush back to the to adopt proportional representation as policy old normal, and stay safely behind the curve as we open up, as that is one of the things that will help build passenger confidence in our industry. l Chris Longley on a journey into the heart of 22 darkness of Billy Wilder’s family history I want to pay tribute to Nick Whitehead , who retires after 18 years as District 4 Secretary, and was active at branch, AAD, and LDC before being elected district officer. l On Track: As Brighton rocks for Labour, we 23 Members owe much to his energy, commitment, and quiet determination. remember the founding of the party in 1900; My thanks have consistently gone to the executive committee, officers, Crossword; and your Change of Address form representatives, and staff during the pandemic and they have been wonderful, but each and every one of us is here to serve you, the members. Each and every one of you, EDIToR Mick Whelan, general secretary l DESIgNER Michael Cronin as a member of ASLEF, has served your country, community, and the railway family PRINTER College Hill Press, London, SW19 4HE l ADvERTISINg ASLEF during the most difficult and trying of times, that are not over yet, so may I take this Journal, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN. Contact Keith Richmond on 020 7324 2407 or [email protected] l clASSIFIED ADS opportunity to express my thanks and pride in you all. Please be safe, colleagues… [email protected] or call 020 7324 2400. The acceptance of a display or classified advertisement does not necessarily imply endorsement of Yours fraternally, that product or service by ASLEF. Mick Whelan, general secretary, ASLEF September 2021 l The ASLEF Journal 3 News the strongest levers available to the public Rail will play an essential sector. Public bodies from the NHS to local councils to central government procure a part in Britain’s recovery range of goods and services every day. The SLEF is taking two motions to the rules and guidelines governing these 153rd annual Trades Union Congress processes are important to ensure that high A to be held, virtually and online, this quality jobs are protected in the UK and that month from Sunday 12 to Tuesday 14 goods and services used here are made here. September. One is on rail, climate, and the ‘Ensuring that goods and services procured post-pandemic recovery; the other about using by the public sector are produced in the UK public procurement to create and protect high will benefit efforts to tackle the climate crisis, quality jobs here in Britain. as shorter supply chains mean fewer carbon ‘While the coronavirus crisis has, rightly, gS Mick Whelan moves an ASlEF motion at emissions.