http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11725128

What I don't quite understand is what are ASLEF complaining about if
there is a long standing agreeement covering working arrangements on
Boxing Day. Are they just pushing their luck?

I am sure they are currently preparing their excuses for threatening
to strike during the Olympic Games.

In message
, at
04:31:39 on Wed, 10 Nov 2010, Paul remarked:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11725128

What I don't quite understand is what are ASLEF complaining about if
there is a long standing agreeement covering working arrangements on
Boxing Day. Are they just pushing their luck?

"The spokesman said: "It used to be almost guaranteed that if
you worked one bank holiday, you would not work the next. But
the increase in service levels has meant this is now no longer
possible.

"We are not opposed to additional services for customers, but we
believe that there are times when staff need to be appropriately
compensated for working at highly unsocial times - and that
includes Boxing Day."

But, of course, the 26th isn't a Bank Holiday this year. Or are they
talking about the 28th, or was that the 27th (cont'd page 94).

(I knew that there was a reason for worrying about the Bank Holiday
arrangements this year!)
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote:

In message
, at
04:31:39 on Wed, 10 Nov 2010, Paul remarked:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11725128

What I don't quite understand is what are ASLEF complaining about if
there is a long standing agreeement covering working arrangements on
Boxing Day. Are they just pushing their luck?

"The spokesman said: "It used to be almost guaranteed that if
you worked one bank holiday, you would not work the next. But
the increase in service levels has meant this is now no longer
possible.

"We are not opposed to additional services for customers, but we
believe that there are times when staff need to be appropriately
compensated for working at highly unsocial times - and that
includes Boxing Day."

But, of course, the 26th isn't a Bank Holiday this year. Or are they
talking about the 28th, or was that the 27th (cont'd page 94).

(I knew that there was a reason for worrying about the Bank Holiday
arrangements this year!)

Indeed! The unions complaint seems to be about LU treating the 26th as a
normal Sunday (i.e. without offering those working any additional pay) - but
there could be various other grievances w.r.t. Bank Holiday working on top
of this. I wonder if LU has given some sort of non-contractual bonus in the
past when the 26th has fallen on a weekend day - and the issue is that
they're not offering it this time round?

Anyhow, I can almost here Philip Green (he of Arcadia Group - Topshop et
al - and friend of Tories in high places) bellowing down the phone at Boris
to sort it!

On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:43:41 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
believe that there are times when staff need to be appropriately
compensated for working at highly unsocial times - and that
includes Boxing Day."

But, of course, the 26th isn't a Bank Holiday this year. Or are they
talking about the 28th, or was that the 27th (cont'd page 94).

Its just another pathetic excuse for a strike. Anything for a day off.

B2003

On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:01:32 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:43:41 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
believe that there are times when staff need to be appropriately
compensated for working at highly unsocial times - and that
includes Boxing Day."

But, of course, the 26th isn't a Bank Holiday this year. Or are they
talking about the 28th, or was that the 27th (cont'd page 94).

Its just another pathetic excuse for a strike. Anything for a day off.

B2003

are they talking about 26th December or the the extra day That is a
bank hol because the 26th is a Sunday , at any rate they are after
triple time & a day off, why not make it no service & do not give them
any pay.

On Nov 10, 12:43*pm, Roland Perry wrote:
In message
, at
04:31:39 on Wed, 10 Nov 2010, Paul remarked:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11725128

What I don't quite understand is what are ASLEF complaining about if
there is a long standing agreeement covering working arrangements on
Boxing Day. Are they just pushing their luck?

* * * * "The spokesman said: "It used to be almost guaranteed that if
* * * * you worked one bank holiday, you would not work the next. But
* * * * the increase in service levels has meant this is now no longer
* * * * possible.

* * * * "We are not opposed to additional services for customers, but we
* * * * believe that there are times when staff need to be appropriately
* * * * compensated for working at highly unsocial times - and that
* * * * includes Boxing Day."

But, of course, the 26th isn't a Bank Holiday this year. Or are they
talking about the 28th, or was that the 27th (cont'd page 94).

(I knew that there was a reason for worrying about the Bank Holiday
arrangements this year!)

Given that this problem comes up every few years (2004 being the last
time Christmas Day fell on a Saturday), you'd have thought they'd have
a decent solution by now.

I work shifts. This year, I'm due to work on the morning of December
25th and the 26th. My employer recognises that it's a bit of an
antisocial time to work, so provides transport, an extra payment, and
lays on some food and drink. The policy clearly states that the
payments apply for the 25th and 26th, and not for the Christmas Day /
Boxing Day holiday. (That said, I don't get anything extra for working
on a Sunday or public holiday - do LU workers?)

In message
, at
03:32:34 on Thu, 11 Nov 2010, martin
remarked:

I work shifts. This year, I'm due to work on the morning of December
25th and the 26th. My employer recognises that it's a bit of an
antisocial time to work, so provides transport, an extra payment, and
lays on some food and drink. The policy clearly states that the
payments apply for the 25th and 26th, and not for the Christmas Day /
Boxing Day holiday.

Are they assuming that public transport is back in operation?

(That said, I don't get anything extra for working on a Sunday or
public holiday - do LU workers?)

Dunno, but I don't get paid extra, and have often had to spend Sundays
travelling to overseas meetings, which frequently clash with UK Bank
Holiday Mondays. The only attendees who seem to get their voices heard
are the Americans, who try very hard to make sure dates aren't set which
overlap their public holidays (the meetings in question are rarely held
actually inside USA).
--
Roland Perry

On Nov 11, 1:11*pm, Roland Perry wrote:
In message
, at
03:32:34 on Thu, 11 Nov 2010, martin
remarked:

I work shifts. This year, I'm due to work on the morning of December
25th and the 26th. My employer recognises that it's a bit of an
antisocial time to work, so provides transport, an extra payment, and
lays on some food and drink. The policy clearly states that the
payments apply for the 25th and 26th, and not for the Christmas Day /
Boxing Day holiday.

Are they assuming that public transport is back in operation?

I'm not sure if the transport's part of the written policy; rather
it's a long standing local agreement - if you usually use public
transport to get to work, and it's not running, then they'll pay for
reasonable taxi costs. There's a bit of management discretion involved
too - the year before last, they paid for me to get a cab in for an
early shift on January 1st, even though I could have taken the tube.

Bringing things back on topic, even though we sometimes have to work
over Christmas, and Christmas sometimes falls on a weekend, there's
never a dispute about which day attracts extra payments. Shame a
large employer like LUL hasn't got this sorted.

On Nov 11, 2:17 pm, martin wrote:

On Nov 11, 1:11 pm, Roland Perry wrote:

In message
,
at 03:32:34 on Thu, 11 Nov 2010, martin
remarked:

I work shifts. This year, I'm due to work on the morning of December
25th and the 26th. My employer recognises that it's a bit of an
antisocial time to work, so provides transport, an extra payment, and
lays on some food and drink. The policy clearly states that the
payments apply for the 25th and 26th, and not for the Christmas Day /
Boxing Day holiday.

Are they assuming that public transport is back in operation?

I'm not sure if the transport's part of the written policy; rather
it's a long standing local agreement - if you usually use public
transport to get to work, and it's not running, then they'll pay for
reasonable taxi costs. There's a bit of management discretion involved
too - the year before last, they paid for me to get a cab in for an
early shift on January 1st, even though I could have taken the tube.

Bringing things back on topic, even though we sometimes have to work
over Christmas, and Christmas sometimes falls on a weekend, there's
never a dispute about which day attracts extra payments. Shame a
large employer like LUL hasn't got this sorted.


I dare say it is sorted as per the contractual terms, it's just that the
unions like to try and extract that bit extra - indeed, perhaps in previous
years ex-gratia payments have been made (and in a sense that wouldn't be
that different to the concept concept of there being things done outside of
the 'written policy', e.g. some management discretion, 'long standing local
agreement' etc) - and maybe the issue is that nothing of the sort is being
countenanced by LU this year (as the kitty is empty). Add onto that the
general disquiet about the future.

Perhaps the best place to find out more would be the District Dave forum -
plenty of LU staff pop in there. I might ask, if the issue isn't live there
already.

Anyhow, will they pay you for a new set of tyres if you cycle in?

On Nov 11, 2:17 pm, martin wrote:

On Nov 11, 1:11 pm, Roland Perry wrote:

In message
,
at 03:32:34 on Thu, 11 Nov 2010, martin
remarked:

I work shifts. This year, I'm due to work on the morning of December
25th and the 26th. My employer recognises that it's a bit of an
antisocial time to work, so provides transport, an extra payment, and
lays on some food and drink. The policy clearly states that the
payments apply for the 25th and 26th, and not for the Christmas Day /
Boxing Day holiday.

Are they assuming that public transport is back in operation?

I'm not sure if the transport's part of the written policy; rather
it's a long standing local agreement - if you usually use public
transport to get to work, and it's not running, then they'll pay for
reasonable taxi costs. There's a bit of management discretion involved
too - the year before last, they paid for me to get a cab in for an
early shift on January 1st, even though I could have taken the tube.

Bringing things back on topic, even though we sometimes have to work
over Christmas, and Christmas sometimes falls on a weekend, there's
never a dispute about which day attracts extra payments. Shame a
large employer like LUL hasn't got this sorted.


I dare say it is sorted as per the contractual terms, it's just that the
unions like to try and extract that bit extra - indeed, perhaps in previous
years ex-gratia payments have been made (and in a sense that wouldn't be
that different to the concept concept of there being things done outside of
the 'written policy', e.g. some management discretion, 'long standing local
agreement' etc) - and maybe the issue is that nothing of the sort is being
countenanced by LU this year (as the kitty is empty). Add onto that the
general disquiet about the future.

Perhaps the best place to find out more would be the District Dave forum -
plenty of LU staff pop in there. I might ask, if the issue isn't live there
already.

Anyhow, will they pay you for a new set of tyres if you cycle in?