Working the hours you're contracted to work

I suppose the only problem for the company would be paying extra NI and pensions contributions for the new workers they take on.

There shouldn't be any extra to pay out in wages, probably less (as they would not be paying 1.5 or double time wages) - which of course should cover the extra NI and pensions contributions .....

Yes, Win, win.
Just get on with it!

Well I guess the company will have to employ more staff won't it.

The union will have to accept more drivers will be employed and the drivers will have to accept their pay will not be enhanced by doing overtime or working days off.

That shouldn't be a problem though as they are obviously stating they do not want to work overtime or days off, or have I got this wrong without knowing the details?

The drivers get what they want, the unions get what they want and more people will be employed. Win, win situation.

Unless of course the drivers actually like earning extra wages through working OT then they will only have themselves to blaim won't they, the question is would they.

I don't know how the company can be trying save money by running short staffed and relying on the goodwill of it's workers in order to make bigger profits because surely the drivers are being paid for their overtime - probably at time and a half, so it costs the company more?

Both sides need to get together to come to a sensible conclusion asap.

Presumably they are doing this as some sort of 'action' and when we are getting nearer to Christmas they will work overtime for the extra money. Me a cynic? Not saying they are wrong just pointing it out. Wish I had been paid for all the overtime I did!

I can fully sympathise with the railworkers concerns and actions. If you want a family life you don't want to be working all hours. Even if you are paid for it.
We all need proper rest breaks from our work to function efficently.

My DD will be going back to work in February after maternity leave on shifts as a nurse.
When she started after her first mat leave she undertook to work partime from Weds to Sunday and it was upheld.
Since a change in rota patterns she has no such chance of fixing her days to manage her child care. Flexible working, particulary for the large number of mothers with young childen who work on her ward no longer exists.
The new computer sytem does not recognise these issues. She will be doing 12 hr shifts organised on a computer with no sense.
She will be likely to have to come off a night shift on days when she has two children to mind and look after two little boys. They will be in nursery on Weds Thursday and Fridays. I live too far away to be completely available but I will if required. They have lost many staff from this ward because of this lack of flexibilty. The Rail Companies need to consider workers welfare and not just their profits.

I agree with you VQ retail is another area where you are expected to be flexible with your hours and cover the staff shortages...my last job a year or so ago was a 20 hour contract,that I was able to cope with,that morphed into 54 that I couldn't.I left after a year.
The train drivers are in charge of people and their safety,they should take their rest days IF they want/need to,management will try and save costs cut corners,if a driver has an accident,who then will take the blame,the driver, as it is his responsibility to make sure he is safe to do so,and management will be only too happy to claim driver/human error in the event of this happening..

Many bodies operate their staffing levels based on the assumption that overtime will play an integral part. As it is usually well paid, that works well up to a point, but of course nobody is contractually obliged to work the extra hours/rest days. It is a cheapskate variation on "zero hours" only of course not "zero". It applies right across the spectrum , doctors, teachers, transport workers, whatever.

No idea of the rights and wrongs of this but it sounds like both sides are being intransigent. What happened to a little give and take? I don't understand life today with everyone having 'rights' and not all having 'responsibilities'. I used to work long hours without overtime payment and just saw it as a part of the job.

Employees only seem to see things from their own point of view and employers don't seem to understand their employees.

DS was for a while the Equity Rep in his company but gave up because he found himself explaining the Management reasons for doing whatever because it made sense to him. They didn't get a rise for 6 years and he understood why. They were going to a place some considered dangerous but he could see that it wasn't so wouldn't object to the tour. On other occasions he agreed with his colleagues and took their views to the boss and got changes made. If he had taken the role on as he should have done and supported his colleagues no matter whether they were (in his opinion) right or wrong he would have lost his self respect so he eventually gave up that role.