ASLEFJOURNAL MARCH 2019 The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen Rails in Wales

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Join our team of Great W esterners and you’ll help provide a great service to 100 million customers every year . Y ou’ll also help us make history as we transform one of the world’ s most prestigious rail networks and create a 21st Century service to be proud of. You’ll play an important role in our busy and vibrant Driver T raining and Development team as you develop and deliver training and assessment to drivers and other colleagues across the business. Y ou’ll also ensure that we continue to meet the highest standards, promote and demonstrate good safety behaviour , maintain training records, and give great feedback. Enthusiastic and flexible, you’ll be passionate about development, open to new ideas, and able to inspire your team. T raining or coaching experience is essential, and you’ll already have spent at least 3 years as a main line train driver . You’ll be rewarded with all kinds of benefits, including a final salary pension scheme, free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family , a company-sponsored healthcare plan and childcare vouchers. We’re unable to accept paper applications or applications via email. Please complete the online application. To apply please visit GWRcareers.co.uk

REPTA 2019 DISTRICT 3 & DISTRICT 7 Run for the Railway People WEEKEND SCHOOL by the Railway People 23N24 MARCH 2019 NOT FOR PROFIT BENEFITS ORGANISATION Venue Membership available now! Membership is open to all rail and transport industry staff either active or Royal Hotel Weston 1 South Parade, Weston-super- retired and including immediate family and brings you over 125 years of Mare, BS23 1JP experience and wide ranging members’ discounts and benefits. www.royalhotelwestern.com

Benefits: Applications l We have full details on our website www.repta.co.uk and in our l Rooms are allocated on a first comprehensive Yearbook. They include competitive insurance via our come, first served basis. What to expect broker Alan Boswell Group. Obtain a quote before accepting your existing l Applications should be sent to Registration begins at 10am on deal - Direct REPTA Telephone 01603 649737. [email protected] Saturday morning with tea/coffee l All applications are to be and will be officially opened by the l FREE Love2shop Card offering 7% discount at high street stores and received by 1 March 2019 (no General Secretary Mick Whelan at 11.00. once Love2shop registered an opportunity for 4% at Tesco or Sainsburys. exceptions). A buffet lunch will be provided and a hog roast l Please state your name, branch will kick off the social event in the evening. The New for 2019: and contact details when event ends at midday Sunday. There will be l Holiday Inn Bristol: Norway Cruise: Bletchley Park: GX Pillows: making your application. industry and political speakers providing an update on developments on our railway as well Christmas Lunch Cruise: Cockney Matinee: Brick Lane Musical There will be no refunds or l as educational elements suitable for reps and cancellations after 1 March lay members alike. Join today! 2019. Individual membership, please send £5.85 inc. postage & packaging for l Please state how many and Delegate fees and room rates Yearbook. Family Membership: which type of rooms you Delegate fee £10 pp* require and for which days. 2 adults & all children under 18 - £8.50 + £1.75 p&p = £10.25. Please also Single room £30 p/room, p/night (6 available) see our website www.repta.co.uk. Payments Double/Twin £42.50 p/room, p/night Quote name/s, address, D.O.B, telephone & email address to l Cheques should be made Additional rooms are available on the Friday REPTA. 4 Brackmills Close, Forest Town, Mansfield, NG19 0PB payable to “ASLEF”. Telephone: 01623 646789. Please quote Code ASLEF night (at the same rate) if required. l Cheques and cash payments Branches are encouraged to subsidise or pay for YOU MAY ALSO JOIN AND PAY ONLINE AT - www.repta.co.uk will be taken on the day. delegates to attend. *Mandatory BRINGING THE INDUSTRY CLOSER TOGETHER GS Mick Whelan Monty Grayling’s ASLEFJOURNAL MARCH 2019 Flying Circus The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen RAVELLING around the country attending T branches and meetings I notice a mood of Mick: ‘Failing increasing uncertainty driven by Grayling’s career the shambles this Tory of destruction’ government is inflicting on our industry and our communities with a nonsense Brexit deal that pleases no one – whatever their political perspective. The latest fiasco saw Chris Grayling give a contract to a sea freight company with no ships. 5 11 That contract has now been cancelled at, they said, no cost but, on scrutiny, consultants cost a News whopping £800,000 and the local council stands to l Now MPs call on Failing Grayling to go 4 go down for £2 million. l How Vera star Brenda Blethyn got her big 5 There is a march in London by the POA on break at British Rail plus Off the Rails with Wednesday 20 March dealing with the legacy issues John Major and the Rev Richard Coles from when Mr Grayling was in charge of that department and I imagine that, along with l Tube appeal after vicious attack on driver 6 members of the rail unions, and probation unions, it l ASLEF calls on government to help BTP 7 will be well attended by those who have been beat the violent county lines drugs gangs impacted by Mr Grayling’s long career of political and industrial destruction. l D2 council shines a light on mental health 8 We point to the long, harsh, government- Features sponsored GTR dispute and the impact that had 12 across the rail industry; the £2 billion lost on the l Mick Holder on a new health & safety 10 proposed early termination of the East Coast report from the Hazards campaign; and contract which, in real terms, is even greater as it Nancy Platts on rigging the election rules was terminated even earlier; the cancellation of l Men of Harlech: DO7 Brian Corbett and 11 manifesto pledges for electrification in the East EC7 Andy Hudd on rails in Wales Midlands, TPE, and elsewhere. The knock-on effect of the lack of trains and the timetable debacle on l Welsh government Transport Minister Ken 12-13 Northern and GTR that dented public faith in rail – Skates, Transport for Wales chief executive which would have been a hundred times worse but James Price and Ian Thompson who sits on for the dedication of staff which has never been the general council of the Wales TUC 19 recognised. Blaming rail staff for the high cost of l Fran Boait, PPC for Gloucester, explains 14 fares is reminiscent of the famous Monty Python how GWR has priced her off the railway sketch with workers expected to pay for the privilege of working to support the profits of the l Gregor Gall lifts the lid on the fantastical 15 privateers that do not repay the subsidies they figures of Britain’s big four accountants receive before taking money out of our industry. Regulars And have we heard any mention of executive pay or bonuses being limited? l Branch News, Upcoming Events, Philippa 16-17 I wish Keith Williams well with his rail review, Edmunds on the case for more rail freight wading through the chaos of an industry in terminals and 100 Years of Union 22 meltdown; staff morale has never been lower and l Obituaries 19 employers talk to me, offline, about a total lack of strategic direction. Failing Grayling’s previous Letters and Classified Advertisements 20-21 l history has been routinely overturned: £170 million l Last Word: What the Dickens? Food 22 to put probation right, the book ban for prisoners, glorious food with Oliver Twist unpaid work for benefit claimants, £20 million on a failed tagging system, tribunal fees, legal aid cuts l On Track: Christian Wolmar says AVs 23 that led to the deaths of prisoners, jail contracts are on the road to nowhere; Crossword; with Saudi Arabia; all overturned by his successors Legal Services; and Change of Address or when challenged through the courts. The legacy of hurt by this government – to our The ASLEF Journal is published every month by: industry and our communities – is a matter of ASLEF, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN public record. It needs to stop. It will take Tel: 020 7324 2400 l email: [email protected] generations to correct but think how much worse it website: www.aslef.org.uk l twitter: @ASLEFUnion 23 would be without the trade unions and civil society organisations who have battled for a better world. EDitoR Mick Whelan l DESiGNER Michael Cronin l PRiNtER College Hill Press, London, SW19 4HE ADVERtiSiNG ASLEF Journal, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN. Contact Keith Richmond on 020 7324 2407 Yours fraternally, or [email protected] l clASSiFiED ADS [email protected] or call 020 7324 2400. The acceptance of a display or classified advertisement does not necessarily imply endorsement of that product or service by ASLEF Mick Whelan, general secretary chANGE oF ADDRESS Please post your details to ASLEF, 77 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 4NN

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 3 News Taxi for Failing ORR stats reveal model broken beyond repair GS Mick Whelan has called for ‘root and branch Grayling – MPs reform’ of the way Britain’s railway is run after the regulator’s latest report revealed that HERESA May has faced cross-party passenger revenue has tanked while T calls to dump her Transport Secretary, government subsidy has soared. Figures Chris Grayling, in the wake of that no- MPs agree with what released on Thursday 31 January by the Office deal Brexit ferry fiasco when the DfT handed a Mick (above) says about of Rail and Road in its annual report on rail £13.8 million contract to run ferries from chris Grayling (left) finance 2017-18 show that falling passenger Ramsgate to Ostend to Seaborne Freight, a numbers meant income from fares fell 2.4% company with no ships, no trading history, and Conservative MP for Broxtowe, said: ‘He has no while taxpayer subsidy went up by 8%. t&cs copied and pasted from a takeaway food grip on the job.’ ‘The government has ordered a review of firm’s delivery site. GS Mick Whelan said: ‘The Secretary of the rail industry,’ said Mick. ‘But we all know the Shadow Transport Secretary Andy State for Transport, if he had any sense of problem. And the solution. The franchise McDonald said: ‘We cannot have this embarrassment, or responsibility, would do system, brought in by John Major 25 years ago, incompetent heaping humiliation after the decent thing and resign. He won’t, of in a move which even that arch privateer humiliation on our country. He has to go.’ Lib course. That’s why Theresa May should sack Margaret Thatcher described as “a privatisation Dem leader Vince Cable said: ‘Failing Grayling him.’ The Prime Minister is reluctant to get rid too far”, isn’t just flawed, it has failed. The has made too many crass mistakes and lost the of Grayling because he ran her campaign to reality, which everyone in our industry knows, confidence of the civil service.’ Anna Soubry, become Tory Party leader. is that the franchise system is broken beyond repair. It doesn’t work for passengers, it doesn’t work for taxpayers, and it doesn’t work for the Look how much I gained QUOTE… men and women who, every day, deliver what Kelly-Joe Ballard was interviewed by Jane Garvey on ‘The tragedy of the should be a public service, not a chance for a Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 on Friday 8 February, talking English conquest of few to make a private profit at public expense.’ about why driving trains is a good career for women. Ellie Ireland is that the Burrows, train services director at Southeastern, which is Irish can never forget GET ’EM OUT OF THE WORKPLACE it and the English can backing ASLEF’s campaign to encourage more diversity in The theme of this year’s never remember it.’ the rail industry, was also interviewed. ‘We want to ensure International Workers’ – GK Chesterton train drivers reflect the diversity of the communities we Memorial Day on Sunday 28 April is dangerous serve,’ said GS Mick Whelan. …UNQUOTE substances – carcinogens such as asbestos and diesel exhaust – and the importance of getting them out of the workplace. TWEETS OF THE MONTH MINISTERS KEEN TO KILL OFF HS2 Today we reached The Treasury is briefing journalists that the peak government could be poised to scrap HS2 #FailingGrayling. Things amid concerns that the project’s costs are we now know he can’t spiralling out of control. organise: 1. Reliable, affordable and on time trains 2. Buying boats QUOTE… from anyone that’s ever ‘Brexit: All that happened is that there had a boat 3. A fake traffic was a financial crisis and then people Kelly-Joe told Woman’s Hour about life in the driver’s cab jam. Not sacking him got a bit racist.’ – Nish Kumar highlights just how …UNQUOTE pathetic and weak this Look wot you Dunn, Tim government is. Tim Dunn – ‘enthusiastic railway historian and broadcaster on @DaveWardGS Rust never sleeps BBC, C5 and others; also work at Trainline’ – posted this image A statue of Margaret Thatcher in Grantham will on Twitter. ‘I have used my old Ladybird book How a Diesel Oh great. I hear Tony require a 10ft-high platform to prevent Locomotive Works to do #RailwaysUnscienced’ with this image Blair has been put up vandalism, say police. The £300,000 bronze of a diesel-electric loco including a ‘chair for having nice sit on the Today programme sculpture was meant to stand in Parliament down with a cup of tea and biscuit (ASLEF spec)’. Cheeky boy! again as the voice of Square but that idea was quashed for fear it People’s Vote. Why don’t would be a target for protesters. Lincolnshire we all just give up and go Police has told South Kesteven district council home? Socialist in Labour. that ‘the passage of time does not seem to @michael_chessum have diminished feelings of antipathy’ towards the former Prime Minister. Easiest way of avoiding embarrassment like this is Our woolly hat will keep to buy from unionised you warm this winter. Price

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4 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 News

Brenda made her name on stage in A Doll’s House by Henrik off the Rails Brenda got her Ibsen, An Ideal Husband by Oscar JOHN MAJOR is enjoying a new lease of Wilde, and The Glass life as a Tory grandee, political breREaNDkA at BR Menagerie by commentator (especially on Brexit), and Blethyn, star Tennessee Williams, cricket buff. But the former Prime Minister B of Vera , the all at the Royal didn’t look as if he would enjoy bumping hit Northumbrian Exchange Theatre, into a group of ASLEF activists and fellow detective series Manchester; in Alan travellers – including AGS Simon Weller, DO5 Nigel Gibson, shown on ITV, has Ayckbourn’s Wildest DO6 Dicky Fisher, WRC chair Debbie Reay, and Steve told how she got her Dreams at the RSC; Cavalier and Vicky Phillips from Thompsons solicitors – who big break – well, a and George were on their way back from the District 4 Christmas lunch taste for treading the Farquhar’s in Doncaster. GS Mick Whelan, though, took the boards – while Vera Stanhope – Restoration comedy opportunity to go over and talk to the man who privatised working for British well, Brenda – The Beaux’ Stratagem Britain’s railways – which even his predecessor, Margaret Rail. discovered her at the National Thatcher, described as ‘a privatisation too far’ – and, ‘Before I became talent for acting as a Theatre. although it was hardly a meeting of minds, voices were not an actor I worked for typist at British Rail She went on to raised, blows were not exchanged, and Sir John’s security ten years as a star as Cynthia Rose detail did not feel it necessary to intervene. ‘We spoke for a secretary, in various entering a drama Purley in Mike Leigh’s few minutes, amicably, including about rail privatisation, places, and one of competition, and Secrets and Lies with and although we disagreed, it was all perfectly polite,’ said those places was somebody has gone Timothy Spall and Mick. ‘Actually, he’s a really nice bloke.’ And, when the British Rail, in their sick, can you do it, Phyllis Logan; as Mari former Prime Minister got off at Peterborough, he did smile freight marketing please, it’s only one Hoff in Little Voice and wave at the ASLEF train crew through the window… department. The line”. They were with Jane Horrocks, great thing was that persuasive and I did Michael Caine, Ewan THE REV RICHARD COLES – once, before he you got travel it, to help them out, McGregor and Jim became the vicar of the village of Finedon in concessions, so I and I just loved the Broadbent; and as Northamptonshire, half of The Communards went on holiday to whole experience. So Mrs Bennet in Pride with Jimmy Sommerville of Bronski Beat – Spain by train, and to I went to drama and Prejudice with presents Saturday Live on Radio 4. The the Algarve on the school with the idea Keira Knightley and running theme of the 26 January edition was train. of working in the Matthew Macfadyen. rail, introduced by Richard as a programme ‘Pulling out of ‘Somebody came theatre. It never And she hasn’t the station through buddleia-fringed cuttings and clashing into the department entered my head I forgotten her roots. points…’ Then he revealed: ‘My friend Verner was station and said, “Can you would ever be on ‘I still love travelling master at Edinburgh Waverley, which is great in itself, right, help us out, we’re television or in a film.’ by train!’ and there was this woman he knew, who was always travelling down to London, and he had a bit of a thing for her, and they got a bit friendly, and sometimes her CONFERENCES & RALLIES timekeeping wasn’t great, and she would sometimes phone The Scottish labour Party conference is at the Caird Hall, Dundee, ahead and say, “I’m going to be a little late”, and he would from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 March. The Welsh labour Party conference delay the London train for her!’ After a Pinteresque pause, is at the Venue Cymru in Llandudno from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 April. and gasps in the studio at New Broadcasting House, he The Scottish trades Union congress is at the Caird Hall, Dundee, from added, ‘Listeners, he married her.’ When Aasmah Mir said, Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 April. Workers’ Memorial Day is Sunday ‘Hopefully, no one’s going to get in trouble for that?’ Richard 28 April. ASlEF’s annual assembly of delegates is at the Marriott responded: ‘He doesn’t work for ScotRail anymore!’ Hotel, Leeds, from Monday 13 to Thursday 16 May. The StUc lGBt+ workers’ conference is at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, BILL RONKSLEY is not the most obvious Glasgow, from Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 May. The StUc youth candidate for an obituary in the Daily conference is at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, Glasgow, from Telegraph , which tends to prefer Army Saturday 29 to Sunday 30 June. The Durham Miners’ Gala is on majors who led an assault during the Saturday 13 July. The tolpuddle Martyrs’ festival , near Dorchester, is Battle of Monte Cassino during the from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 July. The trades Union congress is at the Second World War. But, fair do’s, the Torygraph gave Ronks Brighton Centre from Sunday 8 to Wednesday 11 September. The the full treatment on Monday 28 January, albeit under the labour Party conference is at the Brighton Centre from Sunday 22 to headline ‘Bill Ronksley, committed communist who led the Wednesday 25 September. rail union ASLEF and brought Picasso to Sheffield in 1950’ which might have led one or two readers to skip the piece. our new ASlEF mug has images from the BILL SHANKLY , the Liverpool legend, Mick Jones triptych once revealed the synergy between his in reception at head philosophy of football and his politics, office. there are four forged in the Ayrshire coalfield: ‘The versions – three have socialism I believe in is everyone an image on one side working for each other, everyone having a share of the and the ASlEF logo on the other; the fourth has rewards. It’s the way I see football, the way I see life.’ all three images. £6 each (inc p&p) or £15 for a set of three; email [email protected] or visit our online shop at www.aslef.org.uk 500 CLUB: Peter Manley, with number 137, won the February draw, scooping the RMS prize money jackpot of £438.

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 5 News

victim suffered a cut to Tube appeal after the rear of his head. Which? slams ‘Officers believe the man shown in attack on driver these CCTV images Failing Grayling may have information Peter Vicary-Smith, S Mick British Transport which could help their hailed as ‘one of the Whelan has Police released investigation. Anyone most influential G asked pictures and CCTV who recognises this Police want to figures in the witnesses to come footage after the Tube man, or who has more interview this man organisation’s 60-year forward after a Tube driver was attacked information about the history’ when he driver was assaulted with a bottle on board entered the driver’s incident, is asked to stepped down as on the Jubilee line. a Jubilee line train at cab and hit the victim contact BTP by texting chief executive of ‘This was a vicious Kilburn station. The on the head with a 61016 or calling 0800 Which? last year, has attack on one of our charge the thug faces bottle. The suspect left 405040, quoting ref no launched a members who was is causing grievous the station, boarded 615 of 29/01/19. coruscating attack on doing his job as a train bodily harm with another Jubilee train Alternatively, you can Britain’s ‘shambolic’ operator on London intent. at a different location call Crimestoppers privatised railway. He Underground, ‘The incident and travelled anonymously on 0800 said: ‘There are providing a public happened at 10.40pm southbound. The 555111.’ operators that don’t ‘tocs don’t deliver’ service and helping on Tuesday 29 even deliver the system is far too passengers to get January,’ said a basics for passengers. complex, and it’s around the capital. spokesperson for the QUOTE… It’s not as though simply not clear how This man needs to be BTP. ‘A man threatened ‘‘You know what a Tory is – one who train travel is a we can access the brought to justice and to shoot the driver wants to drive the working men as he’d budget option. Prices best deals. Chasing I would ask anyone after he was told to drive cattle. That’s what a Tory is.’ – Felix keep rising – we’re compensation if your with any information leave the train. No Holt: The Radical by George Eliot often paying much train has been to contact the police firearm was seen. The …UNQUOTE more than cancelled or delayed as soon as possible.’ man then forcibly passengers in the rest is time-consuming of Europe – so of and complicated. course we expect Another layer of more. At the very failure for the Mackem makes his media Marx least we expect trains passenger. to run on time. ‘It’s time for action Kevin Maguire, associate ‘Our rail network to end this disservice editor of the Daily Mirror , fails on multiple and make our columnist on the New levels – it’s not just railways work for Statesman , Visiting Professor delays. The ticketing passengers again.’ of Journalism at Sunderland University, and friend of this YOBS KICK OUT WINDOW OF parish, talked to ASLEF MOVING METRO TRAIN members about politics and Tyne & Wear Metro services director Chris the media on Tuesday 5 Carson has promised to keep staff and February as part of our five passengers ‘as safe as possible’ after footage day political course at Esher was posted on Twitter of youths leaning out of Place in Surrey run by EC1 the window of a moving Metro train between Marz Colombini and Mark South Shields and Hebburn after they had Walker and Ed Murphy of kicked out the window. Cogitamus. Kevin, fresh from describing Alec Shelbrooke, FARE DODGING LAWYER STRUCK MP for Elmet & Rothwell, as ‘a OFF AND LOSES JOB waistcoated Tory with the Adam Kemeny, 33, has been struck off by the girth of a prosperous 19th Solicitors Regulation Authority – and sacked century mill owner’, went from his £38,000 a year job – for evading £650 down a storm. Kevin (above) and Alec (right) in fares by regularly dodging the £17 daily return fare from his home in Shoreditch to Redhill in Surrey by using a station exit New Tube trains to be built abroad RAIL STAFF TO GET without a barrier. He repaid GTR £850 in return BODY CAMERAS for not being reported to the police; and was Unite AGS Steve Turner and Phil Wilson, Labour MP for Station staff are to be ordered to pay £3,000 costs by the SRA. Sedgefield, have called for a review of the order to build new issued with body Tube trains for London Underground after it was revealed that cameras in a bid to cut carry all your stuff – most of the rolling stock for the Piccadilly line will be built in the number of attacks – papers, sandwiches, Austria, not Britain. Last year a joint bid by Hitachi in Newton and amount of verbal keys – in style with our Aycliffe, County Durham, and Bombardier in Derby lost out to abuse – they receive smart new sturdy black Siemens who promised to build a new factory at Goole in from passengers who ASlEF bag. Price £17.50 (inc p&p); Yorkshire to build the trains in Britain. Now it has been take out their frustration email [email protected] or visit our revealed that two-thirds of the new Tube trains will be built in with the failures of the online shop at www.aslef.org.uk Vienna. TOCs on frontline staff.

6 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 News

CONCRETE ON THE LINE ASLEF calls on government to Railway ballast was deliberately left on the tracks at Bridlington station in an attempt to derail a train. ‘Placing items on the tracks is extremely help the BTP beat drugs gangs dangerous and could result in injury or even death,’ said a spokesperson for the British Transport Police. S Mick Whelan has ARE FRIENDS ELECTRIC? G spoken out Transport for London is running modified four-car electric trains on the after the recent Gospel Oak to Barking London Overground line because the new Class upsurge in violence 710 electrics ordered to replace the diesel Class 172s are not yet ready. among county lines gangs using trains – and young people – to move drugs and Luxembourg scraps fares cash from crime around the country. on trains, trams and buses He said: ‘In the light of the recent Luxembourg has Victoria to Clapham do it serenely’. Mick: Everyone should be able to travel increase in knife become the first Junction in London. Passengers will be safely, at any time of the day or night’ crime, and violent country in the world A nationwide flat fare expected to carry an assaults, on Britain’s ‘And why are we British Transport to scrap fares on of €2 (£1.75) is valid identity document, trains we believe that calling on central Police, to ensure that public transport. The for up to two hours which for UK the safety and government to invest everyone can travel little landlocked of travel which, in a travellers will mean a security of our the necessary safely in Britain at any country – population country the size of passport. railway has to be resources both at time of the day or 590,000 – which Oxfordshire, covers The cost of improved – both for local level, and in the night.’ borders Belgium, almost any journey. scrapping fares is the travelling public France and Germany The current estimated at £36 who use our trains has announced that structure of first and million each year – a and for the staff who QUOTE… Sunday 1 March 2020 second class rail small sum compared work on the ‘There’s no point trying for a seat in the is ‘free day’ in the compartments will with the £875 million permanent way. middle-class coach – sorry, the quiet Duchy when only be kept ‘to allow annual cost of ‘That’s why we are coach – as they get booked up early.’ passengers travelling people who want to running the Duchy’s calling, yet again, for – Nicholas Lezard , the New first class on trains work on the train to transport network. all trains and all Statesman will pay a fare. stations to be …UNQUOTE Transport Minister properly staffed. François Bausch called the move ‘the social cherry on the Poor air quality on tube the cake of a larger Fresh concerns about the air quality on water mobility strategy’. london Underground have been raised of life Luxembourg after new research found that tastes already has the particulate pollution in tube stations is better in an cheapest public up to 30 times higher than busy roads in ASlEF crystal transport in Europe. the capital. the report, by experts at whisky tumbler! Everyone under 20 King’s college, london, for tfl, found Price £8 (inc travels free. An all- that the Northern line is worst. Do8 Finn p&p); email day ticket for every Brennan said: ‘ASlEF reps have a special [email protected] form of public committee working on this issue, and are or visit our online transport costs €4 actively working to ensure london shop at (£3.50), which is less You can soon travel for free on the Société Underground is doing its utmost to www.aslef.org.uk than the fare for a six- Nationale des chemins de Fer address the problem.’ minute journey from luxembourgeois, the state rail operator cFl What can you get for your new , shiny £1 coin? TBF membership... just £1 a week covers you, your partner and dependent childr en. 0300 333 2000 www.tbf.org.uk

Transport Benevolent Fund CIO, known as TBF, is a registered charity in England and Wales, 1160901 , and Scotland, SC047016.

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 7

News

hands up if you have mental health. Where’s his hi-vis jacket? Shine a light on ‘Everybody has mental health,’ says mental health Amy, ‘and, like physical health, it DISTRICT 2 COUNCIL reports on a can be good, workshop it ran on mental health in the average or poor’. 21st century workplace Equalities Act. Also, looking at it ethically, ISTRICT 2 how we need to help it is morally right to council, in as statistics show that look after our families, D conjunction 1:4 people will suffer friends and with Headtorch, a firm from one sort of colleagues. which offers well- mental illness or John Brown, a GMB being training at work, another in their lives. shop steward at BAE recently held a mental They also examined shipyard on the Clyde, health workshop to the impact it can have which has a discuss how we are on business. The £835,000 a year. predominantly male affected every day of National Institute for Legally, if workforce, told us longsight legend Mel thorley sent us our working lives. It Health and Care employers don’t take how they have this pic of the fifth season of Peaky was led by Amy Excellence estimates their employees’ developed the role of Blinders being filmed on the mean McDonald, the that, for an mental health ‘mental health first streets (and iron road) of Stockport. founder of the organisation with seriously, they can be aiders’ as a point of ‘Where’s his h.v. vest?’ inquired Mel. company, and its chair 1,000 employees, the in breach of the contact for colleagues Angus Robinson. cost of mental ill- Health & Safety at who suffering from They spoke about health at work is now Work Act and the any issues. World’s richest 26 billionaires as wealthy as the poorest 50% A new report from Oxfam on the growing Who’s in the concentration of global wealth reveals that the world’s 26 richest billionaires are as wealthy as the 3.8 billion people who make up the cab with Roo? poorest half of this planet’s population. Oxfam said that, in the last twelve months, ‘the rich One moment you’re about to set off from have got richer and the poor have got poorer’. Derby to London, the next you’ve got the The charity said the widening money gap was Leader of the Opposition in your cab. But this hindering the fight against poverty, adding explains why Jeremy Corbyn, at the Labour that a 1% wealth tax would raise £325 billion a Party conference in Brighton, paid such warm year – enough to educate every child not in personal tributes to Mick Whelan, Tosh school and provide health care to prevent McDonald and Andy Botham: ‘I want to thank 3 million deaths. Mick, as general secretary of ASLEF, and as chair of TULO, for allowing me to speak, usually soon after I arrive, if only to get rid of me; I TAKING SELFIES CAN BE FATAL want to thank Tosh, for his passion; and I want Social media may be contributing to a rise in to thank Roo Botham, for being my personal teenage deaths on the railways, according to train driver chauffeur!’ the British Transport Police. A BTP spokesman said the thrill of taking selfies and video footage on rail tracks is one factor in influencing more young people to trespass on Spurs delay ‘held up Crossrail in London’ the permanent way. The long delays in opening Tottenham Hotspur’s new £1 billion stadium – it should have been finished last August, but won’t now open until later this month – had a knock-on effect on Crossrail. Rhys Williams, head of engineering, said problems completing the 62,000 seat stadium our new topical tee- at White Hart Lane caused a labour shortage in London, making it impossible for the project to shirt, designed by meet its proposed opening date of December last year. those hoxton hipsters ‘Tottenham going late had an impact on everyone working here,’ he told New Civil Engineer . at Philosophy ‘We are working with public money so can only pay a certain amount. Private clients don’t have Football, features Rik the same restrictions. If they want something done, they can throw money at it.’ Mayall as the obnoxious anarchist Rick in The WORKING ON THE NIGHT SHIFT Young Ones , and this classic The number of men and women working through the QUOTE… exchange: ‘he threw us off the train night has gone up by 150,000, according to new research ‘Rail is the most energy-efficient because you said ASlEF was an by the TUC which wants to see greater protection for the form of transport, and can be anagram for “total and complete 3.5 million people employed as shift workers in the UK. zero-carbon if renewable bastard”.’ ‘And apart from everything Some scientists believe nocturnal working can reduce electricity is used.’ – Chris Page , else… it isn’t, even.’ £10 (inc p&p); your life expectancy by up to six years and the Health chair of Railfuture, in Railwatch email [email protected] or visit our and Safety Executive says irregular shift patterns can lead …UNQUOTE online shop at www.aslef.org.uk to fatigue and all the associated risks.

8 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019

Reports

regulation, and enforcement, to ’Elf and safety goes cool support trade union safety reps and ensure workers are treated Richard Littlejohn and other right-wing ranters with more dignity and are able to organise and respond collectively.’ in the public prints are forever banging on Their key areas for action are: about ’elf and safety gone mad. MICK HOLDER , ending deregulation and of ASLEF’s health & safety department, opens a restoring regulation and new report which advocates a safe and healthy enforcement as a social good; work environment for everyone developing a health & safety system based on prevention, HE Hazards campaign expectancy, ’says Janet Newsham precaution and the participation has launched its new of Hazards. ‘Fewer years of healthy of strong and active unions, T Manifesto for Health & life kills over 50,000 people in the ensuring good health & safety in Safety Fit for Workers , subtitled UK each year, makes millions ill, low paid and precarious work via ‘decent jobs and decent lives’, to injures half a million, and the joint enforcement agency assess the position we’ve been quality of jobs contributes to working. pushed into by deregulation- poverty and ill-health. But all of Red tape or more bloody The Manifesto is supported by crazy Tories who have degraded this is preventable with the right bandages? the new hazards ASLEF and is available free to workplace protection to the point framework of strong laws, strict campaign confronts those right- download from the website where ’elf’n’safety is an easy target enforcement, and support for wing bores who bang on about www.hazardscampaign.co.uk for second-rate stand-up active worker and union ‘red tape’ – by which they mean l The Hazards campaign, set up comedians, as well as setting out participation, and will have protection for people from the in 1987, is a network of worker- ideas on how to repair the massive payback for workers, cowboys out there – head on oriented health & safety centres, damage done. employers and the whole activists and groups working They succinctly put the case economy. The current political agenda.’ with trade union safety reps, for action. ‘Work contributes to a situation has given us an She adds: ‘It’s an opportunity families and communities on all huge amount of public ill-health, opportunity to place health & to address our concerns, to aspects of work-related safety health inequality, and lower life safety firmly back on the political discuss what we want from and ill-health. Rigging the rules of the game

The Tory government is intent on skewing democracy in this country. NANCY PLATTS , co-ordinator of PoliticsForTheMany.co.uk, and former trade union adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, spells out how we can fight back inequality is the millions of votes that go to waste across the country under our first past the post voting system. All this, alongside the use E HEAR a lot about ‘voter suppression’ in the United States – of unchecked Henry VIII powers to push through controversial plans, marginalised groups of people denied a vote due to hyper- with devolved governments overruled. And they changed the W strict registration or ID policies. committee system rules to guarantee the government an undeserved The Tory government appears keen to bring some of that over majority. In the face of genuine threats to our democracy – from here. Last May 350 people (in just five local authority areas) were dodgy donors to foreign interference and disinformation – the denied a vote in their council elections as voter ID was trialled for the government is skewing the rules against voters. first time. To put that number in context, it is double the number But sadly, our elections are anything but fair. Voting for accused of cheating the system to vote by impersonating someone in Westminster isn’t about how many votes a party gets. It’s about eight years across the whole of the UK! winning one more vote than the person after you, in hundreds of The Windrush scandal highlighted the difficulties some legitimate different seats. So some MPs pile up massive majorities while others voters can have in accessing identity documents through no fault of sneak a win by a handful of votes. That leaves millions of votes and their own. Yet the measures to account for these issues were limited voices unheard, as they don’t make any difference to the make-up of at best. As marginalised people were further sidelined, the PM shored parliament. This isn’t the case in Scotland, the Welsh Assembly, the up her power in Parliament. London Assembly or Northern Ireland: each uses a system where At one point it appeared as if Theresa May would suspend every vote counts. appointments to the bloated House of Lords. Then, under cover of That’s why Politics for the Many, the trade union campaign for the royal wedding, a dozen new unelected lords were announced; all political reform, is getting active to build a movement for real but a few were Tories, each set to legislate on our laws for life. What democratic reform. This isn’t just about rules: it’s about workers century is this again? everywhere having real power, at the ballot box and in their And what about the proposed new constituency boundaries? The communities, to build a democracy fit for the 21st century. election specialists Rallings & Thrasher worked out that if the votes That is our aim, and some ASLEF members are already supporting cast in the 2017 election were cast under the proposed new us. But we need you, too; visit www.politicsforthemany.co.uk boundaries, the Conservatives would have a majority of 16 – without l the Ec hasn’t decided whether or not to back this campaign. one vote changing. Nancy’s piece is published here not as an endorsement, but to open Ministers say it’s about ‘equalising’ constituencies – but the real up discussion and debate on the subject.

10 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 Wales Breath of fresh air BRIAN CORBETT , District 7 Organiser, reports on the state of rails – passenger and freight – in Wales after ATW made way for Keolis Amey

HE main passenger operator in Wales and its T three depots in England has, in the last year, been in a period of limbo, until the new company – Keolis Amey – was awarded the grant, which it has have been less than supportive. been running since October 2018. Whilst the political levy of our Transport for Wales, along with by ATW, is on the right track, it is trade union fund is not just for the cannot see what the long-term the Welsh government, certainly fair to say. So far so good, but we Labour Party, but for a whole future holds for them. We should have the ambition and desire to (ASLEF) will continue to hold TfW range of social items that need be seeing more government improve the railways for the to account on its promises, as I am support, our affiliation in Wales is intervention, and our freight and people of Wales and are sure the Welsh government will as surely worth every penny and I environmental friends who committed to increasing the well. would encourage those who are campaign must be listened to, frequency of services. KA and TfW have been positive not currently paying the levy to otherwise the industry will They have a commitment to about engagement with trade contact your branch secretary and continue to have an uncertain generate up to 600 new jobs; 300 unions and been very sign up. We have very good future. Our freight drivers are the will be in the driving grade and a constructive in wanting regular Assembly Members in the Welsh people who do the ballast and further 300 apprenticeships in meetings; dates have been placed government who are working not infrastructure work; an important other grades over the next 15 in diaries. The ASLEF drivers’ just for the railways but in the point which seems to have been years. This must be seen as a company council is doing a great best interests of the people of forgotten by politicians in breath of fresh air in the industry. job in trying to improve drivers’ Wales. Westminster. Brand new trains will be terms and conditions. The freight industry continues We only have two pure freight assembled in Wales and I can also say that this is down to change like the weather; depots left in Wales – Newport refurbished traction is also to to the political willingness of the contracts going from one and Port Talbot – and both have a come onto the network. In the Welsh Labour government to company then back to another. long and proud history and must meantime TfW, whilst running the forge ahead against the UK There is no stability; we have be part of the long-term future for old clapped-out units left to them government, and the DfT, which drivers who love freight but freight.

tinted optimism – back down to earth. I just pushing forward with this design and is very Fit for purpose get the feeling that all this is being done on a keen to implement suggested changes put bit of a shoestring, which is fine – after all, the forward by our reps but there is still some way ANDY HUDD , executive money will be largely provided by the to go. taxpayer and there should be some oversight It’s something our members have been committee member for to the whole process – but there’s financial struggling with for years – regurgitating rolling District 7, and the new EC prudence and then there’s penny-pinching. stock that is well past its life expectancy. There vice-president, is cautiously My problem lies with the dubious traction should be fixed ergonomic reviews of driving excited by the noises being options that Transport for Wales Rail Services cabs based on the manufacturer’s life made by TfWRS have gone for. Let’s start with the Class 769s. expectancy; this would allow driving cabs to These multi‐modal units are ideal – on paper – be modernised where they do not meet the ’M EXCITED! At last we have a for the type of work that can be expected state of the art standards at the time of meaningful attempt to bring rail around the major towns and cities of Wales as assessment. Whenever new technology is I services back in-house, something well as its branch lines, but these converted introduced to a cab there should be a human that has been sorely needed in Wales for 319s have a major problem – if you’re too tall factor assessment carried out to ensure it’s fit decades. Proper investment on a not for profit you won’t fit into the cab! Along with the poor for purpose. And when traction has gone past basis to meet the demands of the end user – performance of the air conditioning, and the its sell by date it should be scrapped! the people of Wales. lack of fitment of anti-spall protection for the These initiatives are currently being More services to the valley lines, an windscreen, these sets give our pursued by ASLEF at a European level as this is integrated transport network, new traction representatives a lot of work to do. where the current regulations lie; however, it and improvements to infrastructure – not The ‘best’ is yet to come, however, with the will take time for these to take hold due to the only to improve passenger services but to proposed introduction of the Class 230. These bureaucracy of Europe but we can, by ensure the continued sustainability of freight Frankensteins of former Underground D‐stock supporting our reps, ensure that legacy rolling services – magic, where do we sign up? trains are also earmarked for West Midland stock is fit for purpose and new traction is Of course, all this is great news but there’s Trains and Chiltern despite one of them state of the art – not only in Wales but all one thing that brings me – and this rose- bursting into flames under testing! Vivarail is across the UK.

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 11 Agenda tough meetings and honest conversations

KEN SKATES , Minister for Economy and to show that, together, you could Transport in the Welsh government, and Labour build the most innovative rail service anywhere in the UK and do electrifying 172km of track. And AM for Clwyd South, sets out his ambitious plans it through effective social we’ll create more than 600 new to develop and run the best passenger rail partnership. jobs, including 200 new on-train service in Europe by working with, not against, And I’m proud of what we have customer service staff, and add 30 trade unions such as ASLEF achieved together. Last year we apprenticeships a year. announced the new Wales and Stations and overhead wires will NE of the most rewarding and let down by the failure to set Borders rail service including be powered by 100% renewable aspects of being Transport any kind of a timetable for North ambitious plans for Metro. The energy, with at least 50% sourced in O Minister in the Welsh Wales main line electrification. And £5 billion package of investment Wales, and we will have free end-to- Labour government over the last they had been let down by the we outlined includes an £800 end internet access available on couple of years has been working failure to invest in them. million investment in new rolling 85% of journeys by 2024. We’ll side by side with the fantastic So when I began my role taking stock, with a commitment to extend free travel for under 5s to people employed in our rail forward the work of developing the replace every train by 2023. Half of under 11s and half-price fares will industry in Wales. They are people new Wales and Borders rail service these will be assembled in Wales. be extended to 16-18 year-olds. of passion, of knowledge, and of – the very first the Welsh We’ll spend £194 million on Under 16s will go free off-peak understanding about what makes a government has ever designed and modernising all 247 stations across when accompanied by a fare- good railway system tick. procured – I committed to do it in the Wales and Borders network paying adult. But what was clear to me when I partnership with our trade union with smart ticketing and cheaper But, most importantly, we’ll first took on the role in May 2016 colleagues such as ASLEF. I wanted off-peak fares. We’ll introduce fare build all this by supporting the was that those people working in to show that the chaos, the poor reductions in North Wales and at people who know how to get it rail in Wales had been let down service, and the disastrous approximately 50% of stations in done. Just as with the Welsh Labour over many years by the UK industrial relations that have the valleys. government’s new economic Conservative government. Let hallmarked rail services over the By December 2023, we will run contract, public investment with a down by their failure to invest in border in England didn’t have to be an extra 285 services every social purpose is a cornerstone of the network in Wales. the case here in Wales. weekday, including improvements our new approach to rail. Rail infrastructure in Wales I wanted to show that we could on the Ebbw Vale, Cambrian and Working with, and not against, hasn’t had the funding other parts develop and run the best Heart of Wales lines and the North our trade union partners, we are of the UK network have seen – little passenger railway anywhere in Wales Metro. A new service will link safeguarding the conditions of more than 1.5% of rail Europe by 2030. Cardiff and Liverpool via Wrexham those people who work on the rail enhancement funding has come to I can’t pretend there weren’t and, on Sundays, we’ll have an network – and we will keep a guard Wales since 2011 despite us having bumps along the road when we extra 294 services running across on every train. 11% of the track in England and designed the new service. There Wales by December 2019. Our new rail service can be the Wales. were tough meetings and honest We’ll invest £738 million to cornerstone of a stronger, more They had been let down by the conversations – there were even a transform the valley lines to resilient, economy. One that people cancellation of major projects – few choice words! – but we never Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr working on can feel proud to have such as electrification to Swansea – gave up on each other. We wanted Tydfil, Rhymney and Coryton, played a part in building.

handover in October 2018. We’re building on the success of this and Effective social partnership continuing to meet regularly now that the transformation is well under way. We are determined to work in an effective social JAMES PRICE , chief executive of Transport for partnership to deliver a world-class railway that benefits customers as well as communities and the economy. Wales, explains how TfW intends to work with I believe we’re doing something special in Wales. Public investment trade unions to deliver something special – a with a social purpose is a cornerstone of the Welsh government’s world class railway that benefits customers, approach to rail and its vision to create a high-quality, safe, integrated, communities and the Welsh economy affordable and accessible transport network. Our staff are already benefiting from these commitments with a ‘no AIL services in Wales and the Borders are currently compulsory redundancy’ guarantee and continued trade union undergoing an exciting £5 billion upgrade and improvement recognition in place. The Welsh government is also working to ensure R to create a service that will have improved beyond that contractors in our supply chain also benefit from these recognition in five years’ time. Our dedicated, hard-working commitments. Transport for Wales’ services will continue to operate employees and our collaborative relationship with our trade union with two members of staff, including a safety-critical conductor. partners are playing a key role in making this transformation a reality. We’re investing heavily in the transformation we’re making. It Indeed, since we announced our new operator and development would be easy to think we’re only investing in rolling stock, stations partner in June 2018 we’ve consulted and met regularly with our trade and physical infrastructure. But in addition to creating 600 new jobs union partners to build strong relationships and ensure a successful and 450 apprenticeships, we’re also investing heavily in our

12 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 Wales Making his Mark

IAN THOMPSON , from Treherbert at the head of the Rhondda Fawr valley, sits on the general council of the Wales TUC, which represents 52 trade unions and 400,000 members in the public, private and voluntary sectors, and is the voice of organised labour in the Welsh government’s social partnership structure. He reveals what Welsh Labour Party leader Mark Drakeford, and First Minister in the Welsh government, told the Wales TUC recently

S thE ASlEF representative on the A Wales tUc general council, i was proud to be there when we were addressed by Mark Drakeford, the new, and fully ASlEF supported, First Minister of the Welsh government – indeed, the only labour government in the UK. he informed us he was due to meet the Prime Minister to put the case for a Brexit deal that protects jobs in Wales. Between 2009 and 2019, due to austerity measures, the budget Shavanah taj, president of the for public services is £800 Wales tUc, GS Martin Mansfield, million worse off. had it kept and Mark Drakeford track, as before, and grown in line with inflation, the budget wave technology, but it isn’t for Wales would be £4 billion being utilised or supported better off. with appropriate breaks and More households in Wales incentives. Wind energy was than anywhere else in the UK expensive at first but the cost rely on a single wage earner, has plummeted in the last five and that wage earner is more years and, with government likely to be female and more assistance, will become cheaper likely to work in public services. still. A social partnership We were told how between trade unions and the disappointed the Welsh Welsh government has government is that our money produced great results in Wales, is being spent where there is no but this would be hampered by trade union recognition. in employees. We broke with usual practice and used a different draconian trade union future, if an employer is taking approach when we procured our new operator and development legislation. in his first term of Welsh government money, that partner. This meant that we could create a people-focused culture office Mark wants to legislate a employer will have a where our hard-working staff share in the success of a growing rail Social Partnership Act for responsibility to the Welsh service. Wales. Responsibility for this is government to recognise our Recognising that dedicated, hard-working staff are a major asset currently with Julie James, AM right to organise. and central to the upgrade and improvement and ongoing success of for Swansea West, and one of there is a programme to the rail service, employee development and well-being feature his staunchest allies. build 20,000 new homes, strongly in the agreement we have with our operator and Mark wants to build on the schools, and hospitals, fit for development partner. good work already achieved to the 21st century, with Welsh We have developed a clear vision for the year that is underpinned see decisions made by the government money and by our corporate objectives, together with values and behaviours Welsh government, employers contractors will procure the which will support the development of our culture. Employee and trade unions, and enable steel for these schemes from satisfaction surveys and feedback from our wellbeing and ethical procurement and Welsh manufacturers, keeping engagement champions will inform our programme of employee employment. the money in this country and engagement. he believes that whilst the helping protect our jobs. We are excited to be on this journey of improvement together with central energy policy is in Examples a tory government our people, and look forward to delivering on the ambitious vision for tatters, Wales, at the western could learn from or, preferably, our transport network. edge of the UK, is the best place that a labour government to take advantage of wind and could mirror across the UK.

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 13 Reports

New figures released by the Office of Rail System is broken and Road on 31 January show that falling passenger numbers means income from fares fell 2.4% last year. The reality is that the beyond repair privatised system is broken beyond repair. The train companies want people to pay more for FRAN BOAIT , executive less! It doesn't work for passengers, or for director of Positive those working in the railways, and it is time for Money, a not for profit a change. organisation with a vision Since I became the Parliamentary candidate for a better, fairer, and for Labour in my home town of Gloucester, I’ve more democratic banking system, is had to split my time between Gloucester and London, where my day job is. I have always Fran, outside Gloucester station, would like to fighting for the many, not the few, as been committed to using trains, over cars and let the train take the strain to work in london Labour’s PPC in the target seat of planes, and I really love train travel! But, Gloucester and working closely with never going to build two tracks, side by side, unfortunately, getting a train once or twice a DO7 Brian Corbett, EC7 Andy Hudd, and between Gloucester and London and make week between Gloucester and London is too Daniel Davis of Gloucester branch trains compete, so it doesn’t make sense that expensive, so I had to buy a car in order to they are owned by private companies focused afford the travel. It shouldn’t be this way. HE train is the most efficient, and low on profit over affordability and quality of Labour would bring rail into public carbon, way to travel but it is way too service. We pay some of the highest fares in ownership, and make sure trains work for the T expensive for so many people, and Europe, for increasingly overcrowded services. many, not the few. A publicly-owned railway ticket prices just keep going up. The cost of a The beneficiaries through transport system would be the backbone of our plans Gloucester to Cheltenham season ticket has privatisations have been the earnings of for integrated transport in this country. increased by almost 40% since 2010, at the directors, dividends for shareholders and We will ensure new rolling stock is publicly same time as wages have been stagnating and overseas governments. We haven’t invested owned and will encourage expansion of falling. For too long we have had shareholders’ enough in our railways, and the south-west public freight services in a publicly-owned profits being put above a high quality service. region has the second worst level of railway that will leave our roads free of traffic Railways are a natural monopoly. We are investment in the country. and our air cleaner. True blue Ipswich legend retires Sorry, Sandgrounders Southport officials Dave Baxter – Kelvin Higgins started on the railway gift from Ian Watling, h&s rep, who LLR for 11 years – and Bill Baxter – in March 1971 in the goods link, organised a collection from Ipswich company council for 11 years, LLR progressing to Ipswich passenger link Anglia and Freightliner, Colchester, for five years and h&s rep for four the week he got married in 1975. He Liverpool Street and Norwich depots. years – have always done their passed as a driver in 1978 – the year Kelvy would like to thank everybody best for members but they were Ipswich Town won the FA Cup! Kelvy for this and for giving him a great still pleasantly surprised by the moved to Ilford car sheds in 1980 to retirement send off. COYB! generous branch presentations get his driver’s check, coming back to Lee Barber , branch secretary they received by way of Ipswich in 1984 on an 8b move. In acknowledgement. Mea culpa . We 1997, post-privatisation, he switched should have published these to Anglia and then various pictures in the Journal nine companies until retirement on 13 months ago but – new November 2018 after almost 48 technology not being infallible – years. Kelvy’s highlights are the the pix got lost in the system. Tractor Boys winning the FA Cup in Sorry, Bill… 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981 – and having his dad George as a second man. Priceless! Kelvin had a retirement party which was absolutely brilliant with a live band and a free bar! It was like a giant mess room! Kelvin was presented with a higgo with the keys to the kingdom (top) and Kelvy’s dad George

New Cross Gate. Always active, Tony Joined first day served as LDC and company council at Grove Park’s first meeting of 2019 was several depots and companies. unusual as we welcomed GS Mick He’s proud to say he was a Whelan, Arriva Rail London company professional road learner ‘and eight council, and members from New Cross miles of track at Ryde was strung out Gate branch for the retirement of long- for six months!’ Special thanks to Steve serving member Tony Waters. Panther and, of course, the GS for Tony started as a second man at presenting Tony with his appreciation Salisbury in March 1980, joining ASLEF certificate and RMS badge and for on his first day. During his long railway making an impromptu 20 minute career, Tony worked as a driver at address. Best wishes to Tony in Charing Cross, Reading, Salisbury retirement. (again), Ryde, York, Hull and, finally, Ray Garland , branch secretary tony and Mick

14 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 Platform Watching the defectives

Accountants like to tell this joke: ‘How much profit have we made this year?’ the mill owner asks his bookkeeper. ‘How much profit do you want to make?’ Boom, boom! GREGOR GALL , an affiliate research associate at the University of Glasgow, and editor of the Scottish Left Review , examines the world of dodgy figures and dubious dealings

APITALISM is, fundamentally, about numbers – income, expenditure, C turnover, profit, the rate of return on an investment, the bottom line, the share value, the bangs a corporation gets for its bucks, and so on. That’s why accountancy is critically important to capitalism – it’s the oil that lubricates the cogs of the capitalist machine, letting businessmen know how they are doing in terms of profit and loss. Accountants: think of The profession is also supposed to play a a figure – any figure – regulatory role by ensuring honesty and and double it transparency in financial data so when its members sign off the annual company accounts the figures are a true reflection of the meaningfully, compete among themselves to balance sheet. This external audit is a statutory get the work that is going. And they do more requirement in company law. than just accountancy and auditing – they sell Recent events at Patisserie Valerie threw insurance, management consulting, actuary, this into sharp relief – and raised eyebrows – as financial and legal services to their clients. So, it revealed that many accountants do not naturally, they are complicit. adequately perform their regulatory, The situation is made worse by two factors. safeguarding, role. First, four companies – Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Patisserie Valerie is – or was – an upmarket KPMG and PwC – control three-quarters of all chain of cafés specialising in handmade cakes auditing ‘errors’ usually come to light when the accountancy work in the world. This which went into administration in January. The companies collapse, highlighting the role of concentration has increased in the last 30 original patisserie was founded by Theo the ‘errors’ in – excuse the pun – accounting for years and means there is pressure to let them Vermeirsch and Esther van Gyseghem in Old the collapses. carry on as they are deemed, in government Compton Street in the heart of Soho in 1926. Carillion was the last big collapse. MPs said circles, to be ‘too big and important to fail’. For more than 50 years it was part of the fabric in 2018 that KPMG had been complicit in of Soho until, in the 1980s, it expanded, slowly, signing off the company’s ‘increasingly CLEAN UP THE AUGEAN STABLES from one café to nine. fantastical figures’ and that the internal Second, as we found to our cost during the auditor, Deloitte, had missed ‘terminal failings’ financial crash of 2008, capitalists are far less FANTASTICAL FIGURES in risk management and financial controls or regulated than they used to be because of the In 2006 Patisserie Valerie was bought by ‘too readily ignored them’. And, because spread, like snake oil, of the neo-liberal venture capitalists – Luke Johnson’s Risk Carillion had so many public sector contracts, ideology that, in spite of all the evidence, ‘the Capital Partners – who indulged in rapid the public – you and me and every other market knows best’. This applies especially to expansion and turned it into a high street, taxpayer – picked up the bill for the collapse accountancy and auditing in the switch from airport, and train station chain of nearly 200 while the directors, accountants, and auditors historic cost accounting to fair value cafés by 2017, funded by borrowing and debt. laughed all the way to the bank. accounting through what they call Late last year, shares in the company were ‘financialisation’. suspended following the discovery of SPREADSHEET ARITHMETIC ERROR There are proposals from the Competition fraudulent accounting irregularities as a result Conviviality, owners of Bargain Booze, blamed and Markets Authority to compel all large of a material misstatement of the company’s a ‘spreadsheet arithmetic error’ for the profit companies to be audited by two accountancy accounts. In plain language, there was a warnings it issued just before its collapse. And firms, of which one cannot be from the big whopping £40 million missing. The human a £30 million tax bill for which it did not bother four. The big four are lobbying hard against cost was high, too, with the loss of 900 jobs to budget. There was a similar story at BHS, this idea and the authority has already drawn with these workers not getting the wages they and companies such as Rolls Royce, BT, Mitie, back from suggesting they separate their were due – while the company continues to Sports Direct, Ted Baker and Quindell have all auditing and consulting arms. trade. had their share of accounting and audit woes. A more radical and effective proposal Auditing is a specialist branch – auditors Accountants and auditors have a bit of would be to compel companies to use a state check the work of the accountants – so it was previous, too. Back in the 1980s and 1990s we auditor and to separate auditing and interesting to hear Patisserie Valerie’s former had Polly Peck, Barlow Clowes and BCCI. consulting as the banks had to do with their auditor, Grant Thornton, claim at a At the root of the problem is one issue – retail and investment arms. The good news is Parliamentary hearing that it was not the role accountancy and auditing firms are capitalist that the Labour Party is moving towards of accountants to uncover fraud. companies themselves, chasing profits. They adopting these two proposals which would Patisserie Valerie is only the latest in a long are not, in any meaningful sense, independent clean up the Augean stables of the line of misdeeds. These accounting and of the firms they audit nor do they really, accountancy world.

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 15 Branch News

James Glew, DB Thanks, Shug, for Cargo company Upcoming events council; branch everything secretaries Alan Moir n EASTLEIGH – SATURDAY 9 MARCH and Tam McKendrick; From 12.00 until 18.00 at the BRSA Club, Romsey Road, OTHERWELL Simon Weller, and Women’s Eastleigh. All welcome, buffet provided. 137 branch District 2 Organiser Representatives’ M held its Kevin Lindsay. Committee member n CRICKLEWOOD – FRIDAY 29 MARCH AGM at the Bentley All three addressed Alison Miller, along From 12.00 at Bedford RAF Club, Ashburnham Road, Bedford Hotel on 16 the meeting, paying with more than 50 (opposite the railway station). December; a special particularly high members from occasion as it saw the praise to the hard Motherwell branch. n GATESHEAD & NEWCASTLE – FRIDAY 29 MARCH end of the 15 year work and Presentations Reunion from 13.30 at the Bowling Green Club in Gateshead. span of Hugh Bradley professionalism of were made to Hugh being the elected Hugh’s time on the and his wife Ellen, GLOUCESTER HORTON RD – SATURDAY 30 MARCH executive committee EC. The meeting was along with long n From 12.00 at the Fountain Inn, Westgate Street, Gloucester to member for District open to all District 2 service awards and mark 25 years since the closure of Horton Road depot. All 2. In attendance were members and other five retirement welcome. Enquiries to Jerry Matthews (07500 800195). GS Mick Whelan, AGS attendees included presentations. After the meeting members and guests n RAMSGATE – THURSDAY 4 APRIL enjoyed a ‘few’ drinks From 11.00 at the Red Arrow Club in Ramsgate, Kent. and the buffet whilst having a catch up n STONEBRIDGE PARK – SATURDAY 6 APRIL with colleagues and Reunion from 14.00 at the Skinners Arms, Judd Street, King’s comrades. Cross, WC1H 9NT. ‘Hope to see you there,’ Carlos Chase. Andy Jones , branch secretary n NORWICH – SUNDAY 14 APRIL Jim Baxter; Mick Whelan; Simon Weller; The Norwich loco welfare fund has kindly sponsored the annual James Glew; Andy Jones; and hugh Bradley reunion of Norwich footplate staff past and present. Colleagues from other grades and depots are welcome to join old friends from 19.00 at the Sprowston Sports & Social Club, Blue Boar Lane, Sprowston, NR7 8RY. Free buffet; a bar is also available. Contact Chris Pearson on 01362 691045 or 07776 123206.

n DIDCOT – SATURDAY 27 APRIL Annual reunion from 12.00 at the GWRSA Club. Buffet provided.

Andy; Jim; hugh; Kevin lindsay; Mick; and n BRIGHTON – TUESDAY 7 MAY Simon (above); Ellen and hugh (right) Informal open afternoon for all retired and working members of Brighton or any of our Sussex branches from 14.00 at the Bristol celebrates 935 years the freight sector and Brighton Railway Club, Belmont, off Dyke Road. Details from specifically on Paul Edwards (07402 478278) or Paul Horan (07868 757492). Bristol branch held its LUL and the Tory rail Freightliner Heavy long service awards review, highlighting Haul. Brian Corbett n HITHER GREEN – WEDNESDAY 8 MAY branch meeting on directors’ bonuses. The reported on GWR Old farts’ reunion from 11.00 at the Richmal Crompton (a Wednesday 3 October. EC president reported and other issues in Wetherspoons pub) near Bromley South station. ‘All welcome – The general secretary, back on the Labour District 7. well, nearly everyone’ smiles Ray Cooper, RMS. EC president, and Party conference and Long service district organisers commented on his badges were then n ENFIELD – FRIDAY 17 MAY from Districts 5 and 7 recent publicity. This presented to Seb Reunion starts 19.30 at the Jolly Butchers, 168 Baker Street, all made valuable was the last time Tosh Micknowicz and Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 3JS. contributions. The GS will attend Bristol Nicola Torrance (5 gave a ‘state of the branch as EC years), Gareth Jenkins l Please send all your branch news, reports, features and nation’ speech president as he retired (10), Andre Gregg and photographs to [email protected] reporting on various at the end of the year. Simon Gould (25), topics, including the DO5 Nigel Gibson Chris Bowden and current dispute on reported on issues in Brian Corbett (45). Chris also got his retirement certificate A sett of badgers at Ashford and other badges On Monday 10 December the Ashford ASLEF branch held its AGM in the were sent to members’ snooker room of the Ashford Railway Club due to the main hall being depots for a less booked. District 1 Organiser Graham Morris and Southeastern company formal presentation. It council reps held a Q&A session then Graham presented long service was a great turnout; badges to John Bradley (40 years), Barry Taylor (30), Richard Daniels and thanks to everyone George Sugden (25), Paul Cooper (15) and James Strachan (5). There were who made it such a apologies from David Reach (45) and Dean Healy (40). After formalities, all memorable evening. retired to the main lounge for food, beer and an evening of reminiscing. All ship shape and Bristol fashion with Nigel, Bernard Kennedy , Rob Kilkie , branch reporter Mick, Brian, tosh and Bernard branch secretary

16 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 100 Years of Union

Freight train, freight train, run so fast PHILIPPA EDMUNDS , manager of Freight on Rail, makes the case for building another Lloyd George promised to ‘make freight terminal (or two) Britain a fit country for heroes to Philippa: Britain needs more freight terminals live in’ but the rail companies had UST like passengers need stations, Almost half of London’s construction materials other ideas. MICK HOLDER turns freight needs terminals in order to are now delivered by rail but there is demand back the pages to March 1919 J access the rail network. In fact, more from customers for more services. terminals are needed if rail freight volumes are The new aggregates terminal at STRIKE OF ELECTRIC TRAIN MEN to increase to meet government targets on Cricklewood in north London, which will After fighting in the Great War for king and road congestion, safety and pollution. service the £4.5 billion Brent Cross housing country trade unionists were forced to fight However, there are significant obstacles to regeneration scheme, got planning permission for better terms and conditions. In a special building these road/rail transfer points. They in February 2018 and sets an important article entitled ‘Why London was stopped – range from a lack of suitable sites with good precedent. The developers had to provide Eight hours and the Tube’ the Locomotive road and rail connections to competition for extensive mitigation measures to ameliorate Journal reports: ‘During the first ten days of sites from housing which drives higher land any adverse local impact on residents. Each February all eyes were on London, where a prices. Opposition from local people train in and out of the terminal will remove up strike of the electric train men, extending to concerned about more lorry movements is to 85 HGVs from the strategic road network a number of steam railway routes, caused another challenge. and carry enough materials to build 30 houses. extraordinary scenes in the metropolis, and Freight on Rail has campaigned to explain Terminals reduce the transhipment costs led to the usual outburst by the capitalist the wider economic, safety and environmental between road and rail and let both modes play press against our Society, and the demands benefits of such terminals to national, regional to their strengths. Their location is crucial. IPort of the working-class generally.’ and local government to try and influence in Doncaster, the first inland SRFI built for ten spatial planning polices such as the national years, connects to the East Coast main line, is PAYMENT OF OVERTIME RATES planning policy framework, regional transport, next to the M18, and just two hours from the ‘On 6 December the 8-hour day agreement freight strategies, and local plans, which east coast’s deep water ports. was wrung from the government after very underpin land use planning decisions. The proposed Four Ashes SRFI near serious negotiation. Following this your EC Safeguarding suitable sites for future Wolverhampton is adjacent to junction 12 of met with the railway executive to adjust potential use in local plans is crucial, as once the M6, with direct access to the West Coast problems which might arise in the bringing sites are allocated for different use, they are main line, which has the capability to carry into operation of the 8-hours. We differed, lost to the railways. larger containers. however, as to the payment of overtime There are two separate planning regimes There are proposals for SRFIs at Hinkley in rates which we contended should depending on the size of the schemes. Leicestershire and in Northamptonshire. commence after an 8-hour day or a 48-hour Smaller schemes fall under the Town & However, two long-standing applications for week whilst the railway executive contended Country Planning Act and are largely under terminals at Radlett in Hertfordshire and overtime rates should only commence after the auspices of local authorities. In order for Howbury Park in south London face huge local the old hours had been completed.’ local councillors, who depend on residents’ opposition and illustrate the problems of votes, to give planning permission for getting planning permission, especially in INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN ISSUED terminals, there needs to be supportive local, London and the south-east. Following meetings with government regional and national policy outlining why rail Rail freight is popular: people recognise its representatives it transpired that a deal had freight terminals are needed. potential to reduce lorry traffic, make roads been done and ‘before we even knew of this Large strategic rail freight interchanges fall safer, and cut pollution. In a recent survey by agreement, much less signed it, instructions within the planning inspectorate’s nationally the road safety charity Brake, more than three- had been issued to the electric companies significant infrastructure projects, where quarters of respondents said there was too that no meal reliefs were to be given with developers have to make the wider socio- much freight on Britain’s roads. The challenge pay and that there was to be an actual 8- economic case for interchanges, culminating is to make the case for more terminals, without hours working day. Also, on L&SW Railway all in a planning inquiry. which rail freight is impeded. The Daventry overtime was to be paid, not at time and a New terminals are making a difference but terminal removed 64 million lorry journey quarter, but at ordinary time rate.’ more are needed to meet the need for new miles from UK roads last year: a glance at our housing. We need aggregates terminals in traffic jams and dirty air shows how badly we A BRIEF BUT SOLID STRIKE cities to bring in construction materials. need more such terminals. There followed a brief but solid strike during which ASLEF reps met with the employers and ‘the opposition gave up their claim that no break whatever should take place within the 8-hour day, with payment therefore, but contended that any such relief should not in future be called a meal time’ and agreement was reached suspending industrial action.

UNION FOR STATION MASTERS ‘The Railway Clerks’ Association can be Do1 Graham Morris handed out congratulated upon their recent victory membership badges to John, Barry, having won the right of recognition as the Richard, George, Paul and James organisation for station masters.’

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 17 Driver Standards Manager

Circa £63,500 on achieving competency Paddington, Reading & Oxford

Join our team of Great W esterners and you’ll help to provide a great service to 100 million customers every year . Y ou’ll also help us make history as we transform one of the world’ s most prestigious rail networks and create a 21st century service to be proud of. Working as a Driver Standards Manager you will become a key part of our diverse Driver team. It’ s an exciting time at GWR as we transition to one of the UK’ s most modern traction fleets. Y ou will be a role model and lead your Drivers through this major transformation whilst simultaneously ensuring that we operate a safe and reliable railway . We are looking for adaptable and dynamic individuals with the ability to prioritise in a fast moving and changeable environment. Whilst you will have a minimum of 3 years mainline driving experience for this technical role, the rest is down to your personal skills and passion for the job. You’ll be rewarded with all kinds of benefits, including a final salary pension scheme, free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family , a company-sponsored health care plan and childcare vouchers. We’re unable to accept paper applications or applications via email. Please complete the online application. To apply please visit GWRcareers.co.uk

The 135th Durham Miners’ Gala will be held on Saturday 13 July 2019

Please support the Big Meeting by joining the Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org

18 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 obituaries

RAYMOND BLACK CLIFF TICE CENTENARIAN FAMOUS ONE LINERS It is with regret that I became a driver. He have to report the retired in 1982. Sadly, after a short and brave battle with passing of one of our Cliff was a very cancer, driver Raymond Black passed away oldest surviving good mate to work peacefully in the Beatson wing of Gartnavel drivers, Cliff Tice, at the with, an unassuming hospital in Glasgow. age of 101. Cliff hailed man who came to Raymie started his railway career in 1977 as from GNER territory at work, did his job, and a guard at Glasgow Central, where he spent Sandy where he grew went home with as the next 14 years, before moving to Yoker as a up before starting on few problems as could driver. Raymie settled in very quickly at Yoker; the railway at Bedford be managed. he was a very popular guy, nobody had a bad and going through He liked a pint, word to say about him, and nobody ever heard the ranks until he especially with his Raymie raise his voice to anyone. He would friend, the late driver help out anyone if he could, he loved his job, Don Russell, and and he never complained about anything. whilst at work he Raymie had a great sense of humour, and would very often be could talk away to anyone about anything in seen with a cigarette the bothy, never loud, or taking over in his mouth, a habit conversations, then it would happen, right out he gave up on of the blue when you least expected it, the retirement. We offer famous one liner that would have everyone Raymie: 2 July 1956 to 24 December 2018 our condolences to laughing. his son, family and A devoted husband to Marie, son Raymond, diagnosed with stage four cancer in October. friends. and daughters Hilary and Louise, of whom he Even in his last few days Raymie spoke of how Bill Davies , Retired spoke often, and with whom he took as many much he missed his work, and his colleagues, cliff made it to 101 Members’ Section holidays as he could, and with whom he spent and to tell everyone he was asking for them. as much time as the shifts would allow. Raymie Raymie passed away peacefully on Christmas had made plans to retire in 2019 to spend Eve, surrounded by his family. He will be sorely more time with his family after 41 years’ missed in the railway, but it’s his family who EE GRIFFTHS TOP DRIVER service. will miss him the most. Rest in peace, big man. the last footplateman from Bala shed, But after a period of ill-health Raymie was Mick Kane , LLC secretary, Yoker sad to say, has passed away at the age of 92. EE Griffiths was a passed fireman when the Ruabon to Barmouth shut in NEVILLE EVANS COULD FIRE LMS 8F BETTER THAN ANYONE December 1964 and he and a few moved It is with deep regret that I have to report the passing of Neville Evans (19 July 1945 to to chester and passed his experience 4 December 2018) who started his career on the footplate at Royston MPD, subsequently moving and tales of the Western branch to us on to Knottingley and Healey Mills depots. Nev had suffered from Parkinsons for a number of second men there. A true top driver to years. I worked with Nev on steam and Dave ‘Kipper’ Cathraw in the team. Nev could fire an LMS be with. Diolch ieuan. 8F better than anyone on the system. I know this from personal experience as a driver working Stephen Bie alongside him. The service and committal took place at Ardsley crematorium in Barnsley on Tuesday 18 December 2018 and many railway colleagues attended. Our thoughts go out to wife Joan and family. Keep steaming on, Nev! David Court , Retired Members’ Section

JM MORGAN DRY WIT It is my sad duty to inform members of the sudden passing of Bro JM Morgan. During John’s career he worked at King’s Cross, Immingham and, lastly, Cleethorpes for TransPennine Express. With his laid-back approach, and dry wit, John was a friend as well as a work colleague. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Colin Holmes , Immingham 106 branch secretary Former Bala shed driver EE Griffiths

PETE RICHARDSON FLYING IN AT THE LAST MINUTE A dark shadow has been cast over Bedford depot with the very recent passing of retired driver Pete Richardson. Richo was a Waxy as he started on the railway at Wellingborough depot, from which he came to Bedford in 1984 as one of the six starred men. To ensure that the 1965 manning agreement was adhered to, we on the LDC had to re-establish a ghost link. Although Pete was quite an old hand it took a while before he attained driver status so he had to put up with us ‘kids’ for a good while. Always a character, he was a pleasure to work with, firmly establishing himself at Bedford, where he was noted for his last minute flying in arrivals to sign on just before his train was due to depart. Most of us have good memories of working in and around Richo, there not being many dull moments. Latterly, he has suffered a number of health problems from which he never fully recovered. We extend our condolences to his wife, family and friends. Never a dull moment with Richo Bill Davies , Retired Members’ Section

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 19 letters

Join the conversation! Send letters Suzy Kendall came up and said, ‘can i have a ride in by email to [email protected] or your cab?’ so i took her down the sidings at clapham by Royal Mail to the ASLEF Journal at 77 St John Street, With reference to the rumble of rail films in the London, EC1M 4NN ASLEF Journal (February) you missed the film that I was in called Up the Junction in 1967. Here is a Patrick, Arno, a rich tea photo taken at the time. biscuit and Paradise Lost Vic Raskin , Seaton, The ASLEF Journal can, sometimes, be a bit like Devon eating a rich tea biscuit: hard, dry and decidedly lacking in taste. But, occasionally, l We featured Vic, a the articles or letters make my day. The railwayman for 50 years, February issue contained two letters that did and a stalwart of our just that. One was Patrick Redmond’s ‘No Battersea branch, across unicorns, but a promise of Paradise Regained ’, two pages of the ASlEF the other was Arno Brook’s ‘Pen pushers in Journal in June 2013. he Brussels’. told us then how he had Patrick’s letter was a relief for anyone who just run three cars into lives in this country without, and without the clapham Junction when Suzy with Vic at Clapham wish for, an iconic blue passport, and who he was asked ‘to come in Junction; the original film would love to peacefully spend the remaining again and they chalk poster; the DVD cover; and Vic time after retirement from the railway in peace marked the platform on the seafront at Seaton and prosperity. Without, after spending more where they wanted me to than 30 years of my life in the UK, having to be stop’ so Polly, ‘a posh said, “can i have a ride in cap-in-hand grateful and forking out for the middle-class blonde from your cab?” So i took her right to either naturalise or get settled status. chelsea slumming it in down the sidings, My sincere gratitude for the relief and Battersea,’ played by Suzy changed ends, and got down the sidings while enjoyment you provided me, Patrick. Kendall, could look out of out my cheese and onion we were on our break.’ Arno, my dear man, those pen pushers in the carriage window and sandwiches – she had half then it was back to work Brussels? The international train driver’s licence alight from the train. ‘As i my sandwiches and half and take after take. ‘Eight is the one piece of paper that all railway got ready to take the my coffee – and then she times till we got it right,’ companies in Europe subscribe to, to ensure train down the sidings asked me, “how do you said Vic, adding ruefully, ‘i that footplate staff throughout the continent while everyone had a drive these things?” and i saw the film, but they cut have a comparable basic knowledge of break, Suzy came up and had her driving up and me out.’ operating trains, signalling, and procedures. That was done when it became clear that the railways were gearing up to take on road and water as a means of shifting international some faceless pen pusher in Brussels who around looking for political headlines rather passengers and freight. decides about your train driver’s licence. It’s a than cohesive policies; Richard Leonard In the old way of doing things, a lot of time faceless pen pusher here in Britain (and your endlessly complains about the need for the was lost exchanging traction and crews. The company, who I think you don’t like either). Scottish government to do more on welfare to idea was to let what was hooked up at the Arno, try and grasp some non-alternative facts combat cuts but, when asked to co-sign a joint point of origin take the train all the way to its before you pull the trigger and spout silly letter with the First Minister asking for welfare destination and let the person work it as far Brexiteer nonsense. But thanks for the to be fully devolved to Scotland, shrinks away away as labour agreements permitted. Less entertainment, mate. mumbling into a corner. traction needed was better used, but Peter van der Mark (ret), ex-Great Western The comment on the curriculum for immediately there arose the question, what Railway, Bristol depot excellence was very vague. He says the about drivers? How do we ensure quality and Scottish government ignored it, however it is consistency of knowledge and skills? in place in Scottish schools. Between 2003 and Otherwise, try to imagine what would happen The hills are bare now and 2017 there was no compulsory national if Eurostar sits waiting at Folkestone for a leaves lie thick and still testing for primary school pupils in Scotland. It Channel tunnel driver and then at Calais for a In response to Wullie Simpson’s ‘SNP and Tories was scrapped by the Labour-Lib Dem coalition French driver. Are you getting there? bed buddies’ letter ( Journal , January) I, like in an attempt to get rid of a ‘teaching to the That is apart from the fact that many of him, also want to see ScotRail (indeed, all rail test’ ethos in schools and reduce the obsession your European colleagues (and you could, too, companies) back in public hands. Its with league tables. In September 2015 Nicola provided you beat the habit of speaking no performance figures have been poor; however, Sturgeon announced plans for compulsory foreign language whatever) use the something like 68% of delays were as a result tests to be introduced in all Scottish primary opportunity to look for jobs in other countries; of Network Rail infrastructure failings. The schools for the first time in more than a I know of three Dutchmen who work in break clause cannot be enacted until 2020, for decade. Since 2017 children have completed Germany and Switzerland, whilst trains implementation in 2022, whether or not the Scottish National Standardised Assessments, arriving at ports along the North Sea coast vote had been successful. To suggest it was more school leavers are continuing to may well be driven by people from as far away some form of bed sharing deal with the Tories higher/further education, my niece has just as Switzerland. is laughable. been accepted to uni, and I have plenty of As AGS Simon Weller points out, it’s not Labour in Scotland wanders aimlessly friends who attended uni and have their

20 The ASLEF Journal l March 2019 classified Advertisements degrees whilst all coming from working-class with the support of ASLEF a new name must THE KING’S CROSS STORY backgrounds. reflect the changes within the grade. Here are by Peter Darley (The History As for council tax, it was frozen in Scotland some suggestions: Association (or Associated Press, £20) as featured on the for nine years when, between 2007-08 and Society) of Train Drivers or British Train Drivers’ centre pages of the January 2015-16, council tax increased by 12% in Association. I find this hard to say but the Journal . Buy it direct from the England, and soared by 32% under Labour in ASLEF name is beginning to look a little Camden Railway Heritage Trust at a discounted Wales (for a band D house). quaint in 2019. price of £15 inc p&p; email [email protected] or Merging Police Scotland was not JE Rimington , RMS, Maidstone phone 020 7586 6632 for details. ‘All income from something I would have done but to say it’s sales goes to the trust,’ says Peter. ‘putting people’s lives in danger’ is nonsense. GS Mick Whelan says: ‘As a member-led AIRDRIE has produced a badge to Murders, serious assaults and housebreaking organisation this is a matter for members commemorate its reopening as a are at a five year low and overall crime is at a but, personally, i am proud to honour the separate branch. £6.50 inc p&p. Please 43 year low. memory of all those who worked so hard to contact branch chair Ivan Wilson The ending of the letter brings into focus improve the lot of drivers, and firemen, and (07949 862393) for details. what it’s all about; Wullie’s view that it would am pleased we honour the tradition with be somehow undemocratic to change your our name.’ HANDMADE miniature mind when presented with new evidence. In driver’s keys to wear as a charm Scotland, in 2014, people were lied to and, Hobo Lee riding the rails or round the neck. Solid silver when the SNP stood for re-election, did so and solid 9ct gold weighing with a manifesto pledge to revisit the Further to Conrad Landin’s article ( Journal , approximately 7 grams. Just over 2cm in length independence question if there was a material February) I would like to draw your attention and just under 2cm width. Gold £300, silver £100 + change (such as Scotland being taken out of to a long forgotten, and seldom mentioned, £7 p&p recorded delivery. Contact Brad McCarthy Europe against its will, now that is very railway film from the early 1970s, called on 07929 350146. Emperor of the North , starring Lee Marvin and specific) and were returned with an increased CLASS 308 NSERS badge to vote. The Scottish people are sovereign and Ernest Borgnine. The film is set in Depression- era America, with Lee Marvin playing the part raise funds for the preservation that is recognised in law and they will of the last complete Phase One of a determined hobo, and Ernest Borgnine as therefore decide the future of this country. 4 CIG train 1753. £6 inc p&p With regards to Brexit, people voted on an the ruthless railroad conductor who will stop from NSERS, 41 Highfield Road, Ipswich, idea but with no information or were lied to. at nothing to prevent hobos riding on his Suffolk, IP1 6DD. Cheques payable to Network Now they have an idea of what it will be like trains. The film does, at times, seem a little too South East Railway Society. maybe they should revisit it. But I have no melodramatic, and a little clichéd, but its INTER-CITY DRIVER LANYARD . interest in being part of the UK in the EU as I portrayal of that period of American history, Black with safety clip. £5 inc p&p from want to part of the EU in an independent and the wonderful use of steam locomotives and scenery, with a very good story to tell, Greg Burton (Paddington). Paypal payment Scotland. to: [email protected] Liam Tansey , Edinburgh makes it well worth seeking out for a viewing. Tony Emptage PERTH branch badge to Drake he’s in his hammock commemorate 110 years (1908- Final days of the LMS 2018). £6 plus £1 p&p. Cheques an’ a thousand mile away payable to Perth branch ASLEF No My favourite railway film is Train of Events 134 General. Please contact branch Oh dear, another long-winded letter from (1949). It gives a good insight into the final Brother Redmond ( Journal , February) you secretary Grant Murchie for details on 07412 days of the LMS. Also two films not mentioned 453454 or [email protected] would need a tea break to get through. If in the article are North West Frontier (1959) and ASLEF had a ballot and it didn’t go Pat’s way Von Ryan’s Express (1965). PROFESSIONAL ENGRAVING at would he cross the picket line? David Cameron Joe Reeves , RMS, East Ham sensible prices. I can engrave anything said, ‘There’s no turning back, and Article 50 you wish, such as the ASLEF logo on would be triggered the next day’. Just like Pat, the pint tankard. Contact Paul Potts by he didn’t like the result, and he walked away. Warner at Willesden email at [email protected] The EU is run by Germany for the benefit of My favourite railway film is Train of Events GROVE PARK turned 50 last Germany; Angela Merkel should be honest featuring Jack Warner; it was filmed at year and produced this badge to and move the EU headquarters to Berlin where Willesden and Camden loco and Euston mark 50 years from 1968-2018. it belongs. I have faith in this country; we have station. £7.50 inc p&p. Contact branch traded with the world since Sir Francis Drake Kevin Kenny , Retired Members’ Section secretary Ray Garland on 07931 and the tall ships. 612615 or [email protected] Train Operator Terry Baxter , Neasden, Metropolitan line, London Underground Double trouble BESPOKE CUSHIONS Hand Double Indemnity (1944). Great film! made 40cm square cushions of David Strauther , Hammersmith & City line, railway engines and carriages. £50. Name looks quaint in 2019 Hammersmith depot Call Abi on 07954 659849 or email me at I have been proud to be a member of this fine [email protected] trade union for 55 years but now believe that, The rumble of the railway CLASS 15 locomotive (D8233) in the 21st century, it is time for a new or enamel badge on sale to raise funds revised name with, of course, the same The headline on Conrad’s piece about trains for restoration of the sole surviving principles and areas of membership. The ‘& on film ( Journal , February) was familiar but I Class 15 loco by the Class 15 Firemen’ part of the Associated Society of can’t quite place it. Where does it come from? Preservation Society. £5 + £1 p&p Locomotive Engineers & Firemen is well and Peter McCarthy , Colchester from Ipswich driver Clive Whiting. Payment can truly gone. The ex-firemen have all retired with be sent via PayPal to [email protected] the exception of some working with steam on l Harrow-on-the-Hill by John Betjeman: Network Rail routes. ‘And the rumble of the railway / is the To place an advertisement please phone 020 7324 2400 or send an email to Reading in the Journal that a new driver thunder of the rollers / As they gather for [email protected] apprenticeship standard is being launched the plunging / into caves.’

March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 21 last Word

It was a foggy day in London, and the fog was heavy and dark

The Dickens Museum in London has a special exhibition Food Glorious Food: Dinner with Dickens running until 22 April. KEITH RICHMOND knocked on the door in Doughty Street and asked, liked that famous foundling Oliver Twist, for another bowl of gruel

HARLES Dickens captured the Victorian popular imagination like no C other novelist and, despite muttered complaints about a tendency towards sentimentality and sensationalism, and his inability to portray women as anything other than grotesques or innocents, he has always been held in high critical esteem, too. Dickens was born at Portsea in 1812, and brought up in Chatham, the son of a Royal Navy pay clerk who was imprisoned in the ‘i never saw a man so thoroughly enjoy Marshalsea debtors’ gaol in Southwark; himself amid the fragrance of lemon peel Charles, at the age of 12, was forced to leave and sugar, the odour of burning rum and school and was put to work in Warren’s the steam of boiling water, as Mr Micawber blacking warehouse on Hungerford Stairs near did that afternoon’ Charing Cross station, a miserable experience which cast a long, long shadow over his life, building was bought by the Dickens and informed much of his fiction, especially Fellowship in 1923, when it was threatened David Copperfield (the initial letters of the with demolition, and opened as a museum to notices adjacent to the exhibits. central character’s name are, of course, CD the author two years later. It benefited from a There are pages from the handwritten reversed). £3 million refurbishment six years ago. manuscripts of Oliver Twist and Nicholas The house is now pretty much as it was Nickleby , both written here, on display, too, ‘Annual income twenty pounds, annual when Dickens saw it for the first time, ‘a and it’s interesting to compare what he expenditure nineteen and six, result frightfully first class family mansion, involving originally wrote with the final, corrected, and happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, awful responsibilities’: entrance hall, dining published version. annual expenditure twenty pounds ought room and morning room on the ground floor; ‘and six, result misery.’ – David Copperfield kitchen, scullery, wash house and wine cellar in ‘Charity begins at home, and justice begins the basement; drawing room and study on the next door.’ – Martin Chuzzlewit Dickens became a reporter on the Morning first floor; master bedroom, Catherine’s sister Chronicle and contributed to periodicals such Mary’s bedroom and Dickens’ dressing room With any author – and Dickens is no exception as the Monthly Magazine and the Evening on the second floor; and a nursery for the ‘– it is the work that endures. Long after the Chronicle ; pieces republished as Sketches by children – Charles, Mary and Katey – and a body has been buried six feet down – in his Boz , the success of which led to an invitation in servants’ bedroom on the top floor. case, in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey, on 1836 to write The Posthumous Papers of the 14 June 1870, between George Frederick Pickwick Club , published initially in monthly ‘Please sir, I want some more.’ Handel and Richard Brinsley Sheridan – it is the instalments and followed by Oliver Twist , – Oliver Twist texts to which we return. Nicholas Nickleby , The Old Curiosity Shop and The characters, the narratives, the Barnaby Rudge . ‘Food and social standing is a rich seam of reflections on love and life, and the quotable While it would be wrong to characterise ‘comedy for Dickens, particularly in Great observations about, as his contemporary Dickens as a socialist – he wasn’t – he was a Expectations , his most class-conscious novel, Anthony Trollope put it, The Way We Live Now . social reformer on the side of the poor and says Pen Vogler, who curated the special But a trip to the Dickens Museum – oppressed, an outspoken critic of the Dickens and food exhibition. ‘It opens with a especially while Dinner with Dickens is on – economic and social system, who railed Christmas dinner where Pip is deserving only offers a splendid opportunity to get a little against the injustices of 19th century of “those obscure corners of pork of which the closer to the man and his times, and to capitalism, describing businessmen in his pig, when living, had the least reason to be understand those books a little better. novels as ‘schemers’ and ‘villains’. vain”. When he returns, wealthy, he plans He moved into what is now the Dickens “bestowing a dinner of roast beef and plum l The Charles Dickens Museum at Museum, a five storey terrace house in a neat pudding, a pint of ale, and a gallon of 48 Doughty Street, London, WC1N 2LX is Georgian street in Bloomsbury, in 1837, shortly condescension, upon everybody in the village.’ open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. after his marriage to Catherine Hogarth, There’s more – much more – of this, with Admission is £9.50 for adults; £7.50 for daughter of the editor of the Evening Chronicle , the food and drink, together with the way they students and seniors; £4.50 for children 6-16; on a three year lease at £80 per annum. The lived then, 180 years ago, clearly explained on children 5 and under free.

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March 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 23 Qualified Train Drivers

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