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l a n r u o ASLEFThe ASSOCIATED SOCIETY of LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS & FIREMEN J FEBRUARY 2016 Sun sets on Kellingley PAUL ROUTLEDGE mourns the closure of a colliery and the death of an industry SIMON WELLER explains what the end of contracting out means to you ANDY HUDD makes the case for Sundays in the working week Cliff Blackwell: 70 years of Thomas The train drivers’ life on the rails the Tank Engine union since 1880 railway enginemen’s tax free saver plans tax free savings plans for anyone who works on the railways... that’s not just train drivers! products saver plan children’s saver plan saver and disability plan for further information call us on freephone 0800 328 9140 visit our website at www.enginemens.co.uk or write to us at Railway Enginemen's Assurance Society Limited, 727 Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, B8 2LE Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority & the Prudential Regulation Authority Incorporated under the Friendly Societies Act 1992 l 6 a 1 0 n 2 Y r R A u U R B o E J Published by the AASLEFSSOCIATED SOCIETY of LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS & FIREMEN F Mick says rail ministers are reducing their options Strikes the result of breaking bad HOULD we accept bad faith? It occurs to me that all of our current industrial issues 7 15 S are driven by people who unilaterally operate outside the collective bargaining and framework agreements we have in place. Having reacted, on behalf of our members, listened to their News wishes, balloted, and jumped through all hoops, industrially and politically, we get castigated for Jeremy Corbyn joins us at Action for Rail 4 daring to protect our conditions and our families’ futures. So it is with great pride that I congratulate Strike brings ATW back to the table 5 our members in ATW for their recent solidarity and Samaritans unveil new rail suicide campaign 6 wish them, and our members on the Tube, every success in the ongoing struggles. End of the line for Farmer Smith and WCRC? 7 On your behalf we sent messages of support to the BMA, who are going through a process we Poll results about selling off Network Rail 8 recognise, of Jeremy Hunt announcing wholesale changes to working practices that devalue a vocational role and, according to the doctors, will make them, and patient care, worse off whilst Features 12-13 twisting the data and using the media to demonise them. One commentator on Question Time said A day in the life of DO5 Nigel Gibson 10 they were led by radical left-wingers and the strikes Andy Hudd: Sundays in the working week 11 are political; that smacks of desperation when talking of a group that put patients first and have End of the mine: sun sets on King Coal. 12-13 not taken action for 40 years. Paul Routledge on the closure of Kellingley We never believed that the controllers of the colliery, the last deep coal mine in Britain vested interests, with the creation of the Rail Simon Weller: What the new pensions 14 Delivery Group, could or would work together for legislation will mean for you the good of our industry by giving leadership; they became a mouthpiece for politically promoting Key Worker: Cliff Blackwell 15 16 privatisation and we welcome, after many complaints, them now being banned from doing so. We argued for Directly Operated Rail to remain on the East Coast as a public comparator, due to its Regulars unrivalled success in performance, passenger satisfaction, and financial returns to the Branch News and 100 Years of Union 16-18 government, but it seems it has been wound down and the role given to a group of privateers – Arup, Obituaries 19 EY and Interfleet, rebranded SNC Lavalin Rail & Letters and Classified Advertisements 20-21 Transit – to provide a stand-by service on retainer. I doubt we will see the success of DOR mirrored Last Word: Thomas the Tank Engine 22 again. As Lilian Greenwood said, ‘Ministers are celebrates 70 years on the iron road reducing their options for reforming the railways Food & Drink, Prize Crossword and 23 and undermining their own bargaining position.’ ASLEF's Legal Services 22 Redundancies in the steel industry, mainly in South Wales, but also in Corby and Hartlepool, frighten me, not only for the supply chain but for the future of manufacturing in the UK. How can we The ASLEF Journal is published every month by: talk of an industrial future without having the ASLEF, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN Tel: 020 7324 2400 means to deliver it? It is time to protect our industry from the subsidised dumping of goods and email: [email protected] website: www.aslef.org.uk materials and to recognise that TTIP will only make the position worse, not better. EdiTor Mick Whelan l dESignEr Michael Cronin l PrinTEr TU Ink, 107 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2AB advErTiSing Ten Alps, Portland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5BH. Contact Edwin Rodrigues on Yours fraternally 0207 657 1819 or [email protected] l ClaSSifiEd adS [email protected] or call 020 7324 2400 Mick Whelan , general secretary The acceptance of an advert does not necessarily imply endorsement of that product or service by ASLEF ChangE of addrESS Please post your details to ASLEF, 77 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 4NN February 2016 l The ASLEF Journal 3 news fares – a direct consequence of Campaigning rail privatisation – means that the cost to commuters has risen by 25% in the last five years. for fairer fares Research shows that £1.5 billion SLEF activists were out could be saved over the next five in force at Britain’s years if the railway routes up for A railway stations on 4 renewal were returned to the January for an Action for Rail public sector. protest about rising fares as the Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: privatised train operating ‘Campaigning this morning for companies look to make fatter fairer fares as ticket prices have profits off the backs of hard- lilian increased by up to £2,000 since pressed passengers. greenwood, 2010.’ Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general Jeremy Corbyn secretary; DO6 Dicky Fisher; and and Mick QUOTE … DO8 Finn Brennan were joined at Whelan at ‘The top 1%’s share of our King’s Cross first thing in the King’s Cross nation’s income has more morning by Labour Party leader (left) and rosie than doubled since 1980 Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Winterton joins and their share of wealth Transport Secretary Lilian Tosh in donny now exceeds that of the Greenwood as well as Mick Cash poorest 50% of the of the RMT and Manuel Cortes of increases and calling for the made a Dame in the New Year population.’ – Marc Stears , the TSSA. return of the railways to public honours list, and it was still the Professor of Political ASLEF, RMT and Labour Party ownership. ‘Rosie Winterton, panto season, ‘Oh no, she didn’t.’ Theory, University members were also out in force Labour Chief Whip, joined us for ‘Oh yes, she did!’ College, Oxford at Doncaster station handing out a while,’ said EC president Tosh The 1% increase in season …UNQUOTE postcards opposing the price McDonald, adding, as she was ticket prices and other regulated Night Tube action Lobbying the Lords The decision by team has left us with ASLEF has been lobbying ASLEF’s executive no choice. Our ‘The Bill seeks to backdate members of the House of Lords committee to negotiating team last the law so 5 million trade union during the passage of the Trade announce three more met LU at ACAS on 10 members in political funds will Union Bill through the upper 24 hour strikes on November and, since have their membership house in a bid to gain some London Underground then, they have cancelled. Under the concessions. GS Mick Whelan brought TfL back to refused to talk to us provisions unions will have just said: ‘You won’t be surprised to the negotiating table despite repeated finn: ready for talks three months to re-recruit know my union has a number to try and resolve the requests. Our action, and after two those members. If this change of concerns about the Bill, dispute over pay and members have been months refusing to is enacted it should not be including its political and the introduction of extremely patient, negotiate with us, TfL retrospective; instead it should industrial consequences, and the Night Tube they have waited for invited us for talks at only apply to new members. If its wider impact on democracy service. more than three and ACAS. ‘We are ready to that is not possible, unions and civil liberties.’ Finn Brennan, half years for promised talk at any time to should be given a reasonable He told peers: ‘I don’t ASLEF’s organiser on talks on improving finally resolve this time period for transition to believe it is right for a LU, said: ‘This is not a their work/life dispute,’ said Finn. ‘It is the new system.’ Conservative government to decision we have balance. There is still time for the Mayor of use its majority in the House of taken lightly. We no indication when London and his team Commons to introduce highly TWEETS OF genuinely regret the they will receive the at TfL to stop the partisan measures that help inconvenience that pay rise that was due political posturing and THE MONTH the Conservative Party at will be caused but the last April.’ engage with us to election time.
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