REST DAY WORKING AGREEMENT, TRAIN MANAGERS – AVANTI WEST COAST

Our Ref: BR2/9/4

 

31^st October 2024

 

Dear RMT Member,

 

REST DAY WORKING AGREEMENT, TRAIN MANAGERS – AVANTI WEST COAST

 

A report has been received from the Lead Officer outlining the current lack of enhancements and arrangements for Train managers when working rest days, this is despite enhancements in place for managers who are receiving considerable sums of money, in some cases £300, for working the train as a train manager.

 

The Avanti West Coast train manager company council has, for several years, been seeking to get a fair and reasonable arrangement for working rest days. However, the company have continued to ignore this issue and have continuously changed their position on when talks should open on resolving this matter.

 

It is truly astonishing that the business is prepared to incentivise rest day working for other grades to cover the train manager role, but they will not incentivise rest day working for the train managers themselves. Avanti West Coast appear to have a limitless supply of money for contingency managers to cover train managers roles. However, when it comes to implementing rest day working arrangements or agreements the company say that it is not possible. Once again, this is another example of a company that has a total disregard for its employees. 

 

Your Union’s National Executive Committee has considered this matter and has welcomed the report from the Lead Officer. Your Union’s NEC shared the views of your company council representatives that the company has failed to provide an acceptable incentivised rest day working arrangement and agreement. This unacceptable situation cannot continue. 

 

Therefore, the Union’s NEC has instructed me to ballot you and your colleagues for strike action and action short in the form of an overtime and rest day working ban. 

 

The ballot will Open on Thursday 7^th November 2024 and will Close on Thursday 28^th November 2024.

 

I urge you to vote 'YES' to both questions to apply pressure to Avanti West Coast and ensure we can get a fair agreement on rest day working. 

 

If you have not received your ballot paper by Thursday 14^th November 2024 then please email us at info@rmt.org.uk or contact the RMT Helpline on 0800 376 3706 and a replacement voting paper will be sent out to your home address by first class post.

 

It is imperative that we get a massive return in the ballot for industrial action, so we are not prevented from acting on members' wishes by the anti-trade union ballot thresholds. Failure to meet these thresholds means industrial action cannot happen, so a high turnout is crucial.

 

 

USE YOUR VOTE

VOTE 'YES' TO BOTH QUESTIONS

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary