.
What a wonderful world we live in.
London Midland won the franchise to operate around 1,200 services with trains calling at 149 stations between London, the Midlands and the North West. In submitting its application to operate these trains one assumes that certain commitments were made - like to operate trains every day.
It transpires that it relies on its drivers to volunteer to run trains on Sundays, and that today most of them have decided to put their feet up and remain at home. The result is that London Midland have cancelled all but one of its routes because of a lack of drivers.
So thousands of people face chaos today just because London Midland’s employment agreements are ridiculous to say the least, and expecting staff to work an essential service on a voluntary basis is an astonishing state of affairs.
The General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union helpfully said, ‘Their contracts of employment say they haven't got to work on a Sunday. It’s their choice.’
Fair enough. But the government ought to look a bit more closely at this franchise and the silly way it is organised.
.
What a wonderful world we live in.
London Midland won the franchise to operate around 1,200 services with trains calling at 149 stations between London, the Midlands and the North West. In submitting its application to operate these trains one assumes that certain commitments were made - like to operate trains every day.
It transpires that it relies on its drivers to volunteer to run trains on Sundays, and that today most of them have decided to put their feet up and remain at home. The result is that London Midland have cancelled all but one of its routes because of a lack of drivers.
So thousands of people face chaos today just because London Midland’s employment agreements are ridiculous to say the least, and expecting staff to work an essential service on a voluntary basis is an astonishing state of affairs.
The General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union helpfully said, ‘Their contracts of employment say they haven't got to work on a Sunday. It’s their choice.’
Fair enough. But the government ought to look a bit more closely at this franchise and the silly way it is organised.
.
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