The RMT union has caused travel misery for Londoners with strikes on the Tube in a dispute over a four-day week.
The “militant” union was due to press ahead with two more rounds of 24-hour walkouts, beginning at 12pm on Tuesday and again at midday on Thursday this week.
But the train drivers’ union Aslef has accepted the deal which has been offered by Transport for London.
In a memo to members, Finn Brennan, Aslef’s district organiser for the Tube, laid out why the new four-day week would be so good for drivers.
Here is his explanation in full:
The introduction of the 4-day week will be the biggest improvement in working conditions for Underground Train Drivers in decades. It means you will have working conditions that are as good as, or better than, those on any mainline train company.
There has been lots of false information circulated, so it is important that every driver understands the facts about what it means for you.
The 4-day week will be piloted first on the Bakerloo line before rolling out across the combine. Detailed discussions on everything involved are taking place, with both trade unions meeting management every week. When the details are agreed, draft rosters and duty sheets will be produced so that everyone can see exactly what the new working pattern will look like and decide if they want to move to a 4 day week or stay on a 5 day pattern.
The key differences are;
An extra month away from work every year
- The 4-day week means you will spend 35 fewer days at work every year. That is more than an extra month off.
- Your annual leave entitlement will not change. It will remain at 7.4 working weeks. A week’s leave will now use up only 4 days of your entitlement instead of 5.
- An extra rest day each week means roster patterns and duty swaps can be arranged in different ways so you will have more flexibility to block leave together, or take long weekends or mini-breaks if you prefer.
A 32-hour week
- Average weekly rostered hours will reduce to 34 hours from the current average of 36.
- Your undisturbed meal break will be counted as part of your working hours. Drivers will be the only grade this applies too.
- That means you will be working an average 32 hour week, as your rostered hours will be 34 hours less 2 hours (4 x ½ hour meal breaks)
Flexible working arrangements.
- There will be no change to your right to request flexible working arrangements. This is a legal entitlement and won’t change in any way.
- If you have a flexible working agreement in place, that is not affected by the move to a 4-day week.
Less fatigue
- Having a third rest day every week means more time at home and a lot less time spent traveling to and from work. Reducing fatigue and giving you a better quality of life.
- As the average rostered week reduces to 34 hours, your longest possible working week will reduce from 42.5 hours now to 38 hours per week. That’s 4.5 hours fewer at work if you do the roughest possible turn all week.
What about Pool Drivers?
- Currently all pool drivers are a “line resource” and can work out of any depot on the line. On the 4-day week the majority of pool drivers will be at their home depot only with a partial rest day roster meaning certainty about their shifts and the ability to plan ahead for family commitments etc.
- All pool drivers will get an extra rest day every week. And for the first time, one rest day will be rostered in advance so that people can plan ahead.
Saving you money
- As well as the time you save traveling to work one day less every week, you will also save money on travel or childcare costs.
- There are already 120 drivers across the combine on a four-day week, with over 130 on waiting lists. Instead of only getting 80% of salary, they will have the option of receiving full pay.
Overtime
- For the first time drivers will have the opportunity to volunteer for overtime like every other grade.
- If you don’t want to work overtime you won’t have to, but you will have the opportunity to make some extra money if you need it, by working one day a week at time and a quarter.
Using an ipad
- Instead of having to carry rule books, line information books, DISI and duty books etc, and signing on manually all documents will be available electronically.
- The only time you would use it when away from work would be to check duties, just as you would check your diary or messages from syndicates now.
Don't want to do it?
- Not a problem. The 4-day week is voluntary. If you want to stay on a 5-day working pattern you can. It's your choice. How this works in practice will be discussed in detail at Trains Council which includes both unions.
- The reality is few people will want to keep working an extra day and more hours every week for no extra money and less time off! (After all, why would anyone want to spend more than a month extra at work every year?) But ASLEF will support any member who wants to remain on a five-day working pattern to do so.
