ASLEFJOURNAL APRIL 2021 the Magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen Free to Members Flower of Scotland
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ASLEFJOURNAL APRIL 2021 The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen Free to members Flower of Scotland Special report: Kevin Lindsay, Jim Baxter, and Anas Sarwar on the railway in Scotland The train drivers ’ 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 We’re on the road The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen back – to a new ‘I thank you for your support, in re-electing industrial normal me general secretary’ AM incredibly humbled to be re-elected, once more, as your general secretary. We have, collectively, met many challenges I over the years, and we shall have to be unified, and ready to meet all the post-pandemic challenges, but I want to thank you all for your support. Flower of Scotland: a special four page railway report We continue to be hopeful that the continued roll out of the News vaccination process will take us, as a society, and as an industry, on the path to normality. But it will be a new normal, which will be radically l Latest news on Castlefield corridor campaign 4 different, economically and industrially, to what we have known. l Angie Geddes-Smith steps down after 20 years 5 We have a government which misleads Parliament on investment – as branch secretary at Birmingham New Street; which has been cut, not increased – and the commitment to rail plus Off the Rails: Mick Jones bunking trains; Iain Pattinson; TPE and the Duke; the Journal undermined by announcements in relation to short-haul airlines and cover is all Welsh to me; and John ‘Scot’ Hay billions of pounds dedicated to roads. l It’s the best job on the railway but has its risks 6 Simply, we will not see a return of footfall in the short- or medium- l Franchise system fell at first (covid-19) hurdle 7 term. The recent RPI increase in fares will not help and, as we have said, publicly sends out the wrong message. The companies being in l The People’s History Museum in Manchester 8 emergency measures and/or furlough due to no or little income from Features the fare box leaves the industry in a state of flux. Rightly, we are all dismayed at the government’s 1% pay rise for all l As, post-covid, people start to flee the city for 10 the countryside Chris Proctor looks at the state those they regarded, not so long ago, as NHS heroes, and the public of rural bus services after Tory privatisation outcry is not likely to stretch to the government edict that you, as key l DO2 Kevin Lindsay and EC3 Jim Baxter reflect 11 workers, cannot expect any government-funded pay rises for last year on the railway, the pandemic, and Stonehaven and this. We have pointed out that they have no role in our free l Archie Barr; Andrew Foster; James Glew; 12-13 collective bargaining and will continue to press the point where we John Hay; Rab Lang; Rab Wicksted; and ScotRail can. It cannot be forgotten that we are – as we would and should be as company council report on the TOCs and FOCs if nationalised – being fully funded by the government at circa £22 l Anas Sarwar and John Finnie on the future of 14 million a day, some £10 billion by June, unlike other industries. Scotland’s railways post-pandemic Future full timetables are not going to happen , going forward, until l Gregor Gall ponders whether the public money 15 poured into UK companies during the covid-19 footfall returns, which might take years and will be seen by many as crisis will change Britain’s economic model counter-intuitive, as limiting capacity may make us less attractive. Uncertainty reigns and, obviously, the previous model, which had Regulars failed and collapsed, cannot be sustained with the massive shortfall in income, and the industry will have to consider change to survive to Obituaries 16-19 l grow again. l Letters 20 The question is how this can be done protecting jobs and futures . l Points & Crossings and Classified Ads 21 This, and not knowing who we may, or may not, be dealing with in the l Last Word: Books to read post-coronavirus 22 post-Williams world, against a background of economic uncertainty, l On Track: James This House Graham writes 23 with increased unemployment and changes to commuter working, his way out of covid; Prize Crossword; Legal which will not be replaced by leisure traffic, especially with the Services; and your Change of Address form naturally expected reduction in disposable income. EdItoR Mick Whelan, general secretary l dESIgNER Michael Cronin The companies are expressly working to the behest of the PRINtER College Hill Press, London, SW19 4HE l AdvERtISINg ASLEF Journal, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN. Contact Keith Richmond government and DfT and are reliant on them for income and funding on 020 7324 2407 or [email protected] l cLASSIFIEd AdS and there is little point in highlighting how much money they have [email protected] or call 020 7324 2400. The acceptance of a display or classified advertisement does not necessarily imply endorsement of made in the past. It is up to us to work and – if necessary – fight for the that product or service by ASLEF chANgE oF AddRESS Please post best future possible, for ourselves and for our industry. Please be safe. your details to ASLEF, 77 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 4NN Yours fraternally, The ASLEF Journal is published every month by: ASLEF, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN Tel: 020 7324 2400 l email: [email protected] website: www.aslef.org.uk l twitter: @ASLEFUnion Mick Whelan, general secretary, ASLEF April 2021 l The ASLEF Journal 3 News Ec3 John Metcalfe Castlefield corridor – launches our campaign in the Journal consultation ‘a sham’ (left); Lisa Nandy tells SLEF is turning up the railway; savagely slashing direct grant Shapps A heat in the battle over services to Manchester airport she is the Castlefield corridor. means passengers will have to ‘gobsmacked’ The Manchester recovery task change more frequently, and no by the force consultation exercise by the account has been taken of proposals (far Department for Transport, disability access issues, or the lack left); and Network Rail, and Transport for of station staff to assist; building do3 Andy the North – into chaos in the the Ordall chord without hourigan is Castlefield corridor – has improving capacity from Oxford working to enormous implications for Road to Piccadilly was pointless, involvement of the resolve the passengers and train crew. and there is nothing about much- Liverpool city region combined issues DO3 Andy Hourigan and EC3 needed improvements in authority is remarkable given how John Metcalfe have serious infrastructure; local (NTL) services interdependent transport links reservations about suggestions are delayed beyond normal between the two cities are. north of England, especially the for what is described, rather signalling protocol to give priority Wigan 107 branch committee, corridor between Ordsall Lane optimistically and to TPE services; a claim that meeting on Sunday 7 March, and Manchester Piccadilly.’ euphemistically, as ‘capacity ‘defensive driving techniques’ are passed a resolution in respect of And Lisa Nandy, Labour MP for enhancement’: proposed much- one cause of congestion attacks the consultation, calling on the GS Wigan, has written to Transport reduced timetables leave no the fundamental safety culture of and EC to campaign ‘for the Secretary Grant Shapps calling for wriggle room if more people, the railway of which we are, reintroduction of funding for ‘this sham consultation’ to be post-pandemic, return to the justifiably, proud; and the lack of infrastructure projects in the dropped. Hat-trick for Mick TWEETS OF THE MONTH You cannot run a railway, let alone a Mick Whelan, Midland region, in company council complicated integrated transport Willesden branch, has 1984. He was, first, a secretary EWSI, before operator like @tfl, on hand to mouth been re-elected, member, and then a he was elected District piecemeal funding. The government is unopposed, as rep, for the NUR. When 6 Organiser in 2000. playing a party political game at the general secretary for a Mick became a freight Mick was elected expense of London’s recovery from the third term. Mick has driver in 1988 he GS in 2011 and, since pandemic. @FinnBrennan spent 37 years on the joined ASLEF, the train then, has worked hard ASLEF’s gS was railway, and 37 years drivers’ union, and to engage with the recently re-elected PM plans new charity backed by rich as an active trade became a local rep, other rail unions, and unopposed, as he donors to pay for lavish revamp of unionist. He began in then company council the rest of the labour was five years ago private flat. @MailOnline the industry as a secretary Railfreight movement, the Labour guard, on British Rail’s Distribution, and Party, and other September 2017, he Congratulations to Boris Johnson for stakeholders in the rail was elected to the the first act of charity he wasn’t forced industry.