30th March 2008
Welcome.
Harmonisation Update
Martin's Letter has provoked a few reponses which we reproduce below:
I have just read the latest posting on the ASLEF "northern" web site, I'm extremely concerned over the totally unjust and unfounded allegations that members of this council have been accused by the Branch Secretary of Skipton of conspiring against Nick and working behind his back. I feel disgusted at his remarks, as the council while having had their differences have worked extremely hard in attempting to produce a package which could have benefited our members. However If the Branch Secretary from Skipton has any evidence that members of this council has conspired or worked against Nick in any way I would expect him to raise these allegations at the appropriate level. Furthermore I Would request that the offending paragraph be deleted from the posting.
Mick Maher
Northern Company Council
The Council have published their latest newsletter. You can download it here:
Hi Mick, Martin has sent his letter in to the journal and asked me if it could be posted on the website. I have also been sent articles critical of others and supportive of the drivers council. I have today (first chance I've had) forwarded them and asked for them to be posted. I will also forward your email and ask for it to be posted too.
I do feel we should answer criticisms not edit them out.
I do agree with your other email that most people are happy with our decision to split and defend/improve our existing terms and conditions. And I'm sure you are also right when you say "some are starting to realise they've missed out". We will have to move forward now and one positive that has come from this is the spadework Nick Whitehead has done shows both East and West how we could improve our lot and the saving's that can be passed on to our members if they wish.
Cheers, Tosh.
Since the Union has seen fit to post a letter with a point of view on harmonisation on the site I feel it is only fair that I respond to the letter with my on view. Please post accordingly on the site.
I read your letter posted on the ASLEF website and although I strongly agree with many of your sentiments I feel you need to be made aware of a few facts.
The meeting that Nick Whitehead attended in Manchester was for the most part a very cordial affair, but as the evening developed a few members tempers became frayed. Suffice to say things were said by members but it was not all in one direction I can assure you!.
You also talk about certain members of the company council trying to sabotage harmonisation this again I can not agree with. If you have taken the time to read the terms and conditions of the FNW DRI you will know that it has many advantages over ATN in terms of conditions for driving staff. This DRI was hard fought for and drivers had to strike to achieve this. Why would company councils on this side who had asked there drivers to go without pay when striking, then come back to them this time around with a far poorer document in the ATN T&C'S? where staff were losing rest days? and not guaranteed a set rest day pattern.
As has been raised before this was about harmonisation not easternisation of Northern, Company councils and drivers on this side of the company wanted a fair and balanced document that reflected the very best points of Both T&C'S. Your very criticism of Company councils either shows a lack of understanding of this or a hostile attitude towards what was trying to be achieved which was real Harmonisation, not ATNS DRI with 2.95 rest days inserted at the top.
Your very points about union being strong are very valid and we do need to project a united front, however I hardly think bashing members of the union and criticising a branch's democratic right to an ADD is really doing that. You seem to have a strong passion for ASLEF but be under no illusions that just because drivers and members of company councils do not agree with everything that has been adopted as ASLEF's charter does not mean that they are any less patriotic to the cause.
Yours fraternally
Christopher Thompson
Piccadilly Branch
Hi
I feel I have to respond to the letter dated 20/03/08 by Martin Exley.
As far as I am concerned the Company Council listened and acted on their members concerns over Harmonisation - not a conspiracy. Nicky Whitehead's remit from the E.C.was to obtain:-
- 156 Rest days
- Parity of pay from day 1
Neither of these directives were achieved and therefore he failed dismally. Sundays within the working week may be part of ASLEF's charter BUT NOT at a cost that is detrimental to their members, which this certainly was. To give up our T& C's for a paltry sum of less than £2000 would have been theft of the highest order.
It was obvious to all that a cost neutral package was impossible to achieve. I don't know what "price" Mr Exley puts on T & C's, that have been fought for for years by our predecessors. I am sure there will be a few "turning in their graves" at the thought of GIVING them away as Mr Exley advocates & would obviously do (or has already done).
Regards Tex Houghton Workington
Hi Tex, I have forwarded you email on and asked for it to be put on the website.
I do disagree with you that Nick Whitehead "Failed Dismally" He did actually deliver what we asked him to do and he moved management a long way. We have now decided to split the council and continue to defend or improve the terms and conditions we have respective previous employers. I cant help but feel it is a missed opportunity but I'm sure both sides of Northern will move forward in a principled way.
Cheers, Tosh.
Martin Exley, Branch Secretary of Skipton Branch has submitted the following letter for consideration to be included in the next Locomotive Journal:
Dear Sir,
It is increasing obvious that Harmonisation at Northern Rail will not happen in the foreseeable future. In my view the reason for this failure is in most part due to certain members and Northern Company Council representatives conspiring against the proposals and working behind the back of Aslef's lead officer in the negotiations, Nick Whitehead, District 4 Organiser.
Whilst I appreciate that the one-year wait for pay parity was out of the question, Nick negotiated a credible package that met most of our aspirations. The pay parity issue could have been worked on. We should be congratulating the Lead Officer not criticizing him.
At a recent meeting in Manchester Nick was booed by certain members and questions put to him questioning his integrity. I find this sort of behaviour toward someone who was appointed by the E.C and General Secretary to sort out the mess of Harmonisation absolutely deplorable.
A lot has been said during this debate about the Aslef charter and one branch has a motion to put to the AAD proposing a change to the charter specifically for Harmonisation talks. Why fix something that isn't broken. The main contention during harmonisation talks seems to be the issue of Sundays within or outside the working week. The Aslef charter makes it plain that the aspiration of this Union is for Sundays to be included within the working week. You can't pick and choose the bits that you like from the charter and ignore the bits that you don't like.
In my view Sundays within the working week meets many more of our aspirations, creating jobs, making a 4-day week possible, a true 35-hour week and stopping institutionalised overtime.
The members of this union must get back to working together for the common good of all drivers and not for just the few who want to make a few quid more than others.
I say this because I have just been on a TUC reps course where all of the other students from other unions would dearly love their union organisation to be as good and as strong as Aslef's. One fellow student told me that all unions should aspire to be like Aslef. That is the high regard in which this Union is held.
Lets all remember that Aslef has Train Drivers representing Train Drivers. I would like to finish by paraphrasing John F Kennedy: -
"Don't ask yourself what your Union can do for you, ask yourself what can you do for your Union!"
Yours fraternally,
Martin Exley
Skipton Branch.
Mr N Whitehead, District Organiser, District No.4 and the Northern Rail Company Council awaited upon the EC
Mr N Whitehead, District Organiser, District No.4 and the Northern Rail Company Council left the EC
150/2008 IR/NR/11 Consideration to correspondence from Mr S Butcher, Area Director, Northern Rail dated 12th March 2008 and a report from Mr N Whitehead, District Organiser, District No.4 and the Northern Rail Company Council Re Northern Rail ~ Harmonisation
The report before the Executive Committee is further to EC Resolution 175/440. The correspondence from the company explains that progress has been made and they are hopeful a document will be ready for the ASLEF EC in the March 2008 session. The Company Council advise that they have attended a meeting recently and there are still issues surrounding Pay Parity; 156 Rest Days and a fixed Rest Day Pattern and they are therefore not in a position to support or endorse the proposed harmonisation package. The Lead Officer explains that Management have offered what we asked for but this is not acceptable to the Council and perhaps the membership. He believes that we have exhausted the negotiation route with Northern, but I don’t think the membership would vote for Industrial Action on this issue. The Executive Committee were of the view that negotiations should now be concluded and as such the following resolution was adopted;
282/440 Proposed Donnelly, seconded McDonald
“That the report and correspondence be noted and the General Secretary be instructed to advise the HR Director, Northern Rail that the proposed Harmonisation Package of Northern Rail Terms and Conditions is not acceptable to ASLEF.
Further, that the General Secretary be instructed to open negotiations in order to set the parameters of future independent negotiating procedures within the former Arriva Trains Northern and the former First North Western of Northern Rail.
Further, that this EC wishes to place on record our thanks to Mr N Whitehead, District Organiser, District No.4 and our negotiating team involved in this process to improve our members terms & conditions, for their hard work and effort in the negotiations with Northern Rail.
Further, that the General Secretary be instructed to convey to Mr N Whitehead, District Organiser, District No.4 that he has the full support of this EC in work he has conducted on behalf of ASLEF members in Northern Rail.
All branches and reps, Northern Rail be advised.”
Carried Unan
Download the proposed harmonisation package:
We now have both the former FNW and former ATN T&Cs for download:
