FCC bosses settle pay dispute (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)
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FCC bosses settle pay dispute
4:27pm Wednesday 13th January 2010 in Columnists
RAIL bosses at First Capital Connect have reached an agreement with train drivers over a pay dispute, the Review can reveal.
Commuters travelling on the Thameslink line - which runs through St Albans - have been faced with severe delays and service cuts because of an ongoing industrial dispute between company bosses and drivers over pay and working hours.
But members of train driver union, Aslef, accepted a revised pay offer by the train operator today, signalling a possible end to passenger misery. FCC spokesman Gareth Beazant told the Review: "We welcome today's acceptance of our revised pay offer to our train drivers by Aslef members and we will continue to work closely with Aslef in the future. Our priority remains in restoring the Thameslink route timetable."
Keep checking the Review for updates to this story.
FlitwickCattle says...
4:39pm Wed 13 Jan 10
QUOTE: "The drivers’ union ASLEF is warning that the acceptance of the pay offer does not mean that all its members will now return to working overtime and rest days."
QUOTE: a spokesman for ASLEF told another publication that the outlook remained uncertain. He said: “Our members are not obliged to work overtime and rest days, and it remains to be seen how many will want to do so now. The real solution is for the company to continue recruiting the additional drivers it needs. Restoring the full timetable may be some way off yet.”