MARTIN WARD, Principal Consultant at TXM Consult, outlines the mechanics of staff overtime and the choices facing operators and funders between relying on overtime and employing more staff
The progression of the England football team to the final of Euro 2024 had a negative impact on rail performance. The Independent highlighted that ‘hundreds’of trains were cancelled on Sunday 14 July as staff exercised their right to not work overtime on a Sunday, with some companies issuing a‘do not travel’message.
Separately, two operators introduced emergency timetables in July. One was due to ASLEF members not making themselves available for overtime or rest day working, and the other due to a shortage of drivers. ASLEF has said the root cause is an ‘understaffed and overstretched’ workforce, with the companies reliant on goodwill to fill gaps with overtime.
Poor performance like this not only impacts on passengers’ journeys, but also creates negative publicity for the whole industry.
It has been argued the solution is simple – just employ more staff.
But that answer is overly simplistic as it does not recognise the complexity arising from terms and conditions, the conflicting objectives that need to be…
