Trying to move forward What is the future for catering?
REPORT FROM AVANTI WEST COAST CATERING COMPANY COUNCIL“When it comes to catering what’s your vision, how do you intend to deliver it… and when?” RMT asked at the Avanti West Coast Catering Company Council meeting earlier this month at the Talent Academy in Crewe.
Vicky Shepherd, an On Board Manager, was the new management side Chair and it became apparent early in the meeting that many of the issues we were raising on behalf of our members were going to need further investigation or be passed up to a higher level of the management team for a detailed response.
There was a packed agenda as it had been five months since the last meeting.
One of the main issues raised was what is the company long term plan when it comes to the on-board catering service?
At the start of the Avanti franchise, it was suggested that the catering service would be enhanced as an integral part of the offer to customers in first class – this objective (if it was ever real) seems to have collapsed in to utter chaos.
The much heralded seven-day consistent service has ended up with virtually no first-class service between some locations (particularly the North Wales route) and a mediocre “collect from the shop” option on Voyager services.
Short staffing is chronic – and plans to deliver a consistent service are based on variable passenger numbers and historic data that has no correlation to reality.
That nearly everything has fallen to bits under Avanti seems clear – what isn’t clear is how we will get back to stability and reliability of service and meeting passenger expectations.
The at seat ordering service using an app is another issue with no one really knowing when it works, if it works or whether there are enough staff on board to deliver it, originally set at a 75% target now reduced to 48%.
So, whilst your RMT Catering Company Council reps try and deal with day-to-day issues we are also trying to understand what the final service delivery model is for Avanti Train Catering – so that we can share that information with you. We continue to push for answers to these questions. We also believe the company needs to get the basics right, so that even in times of disruption passengers have a reliable service – We do believe that catering for standard, standard premium and first class are integral parts of the customer offer and the overall passenger experience – we want it to be a success but we need to understand the plan (if they have one!)
RMT understands the planning for the December 2022 timetable saw yet another reduction in staffing levels on the catering crew plan down again to a requirement for 695 full time equivalents – it’s a far cry from the days of Virgin when at the TUPE talks around 871 caterers were on the books – you can’t enhance a service with such a drastic cut to front line staff. Things just don’t add up!
Throughout last year Catering Council were told the diagrams determined headcount – the requirement to get the staffing levels right to deliver the service but we seem to be working on a headcount determines the diagrams basis –and muddling through as best we can.
Avanti West Coast needs to share its plans, be visible and transparent with its staff… and its customers.
STAFF LEAVE CARDS
We have been advised that staff leave cards are held by resources and can be accessed by emailing them, so if there’s a question mark about your annual leave you should be able to access the records held and if there are issues over untaken leave you should then be able to highlight them.
DEALING WITH GRIEVANCES IN A REASONABLE TIMESCALE
RMT has raised concerns about the time it takes to deal with individual grievances – whilst the procedures state that grievances should be dealt with in a reasonable time the definitions of what’s “reasonable” seem to vary widely with many grievances taking months to resolve.
RMT has asked for statistics on how many outstanding grievances are currently in the system so we can evaluate how widespread the problem is of not getting your grievance dealt with in a timely manner.
CONCERNS ABOUT EFFECTIVE TRAINING
Your RMT Staff Reps on the Avanti Catering Company Council have raised concerns about how training is being delivered to caterers across the business. We seem to have moved from real “hands on” training –delivered by people with some experience and expertise – to briefings/eLearning that are neither effective nor checking understanding.
There needs to be a training plan and it needs to return to being properly delivered.
This is particularly the case with new equipment and refurbished trains, where your Company Council reps don’t believe the training was/is adequate. In some cases there may be Health and Safety issues if training is not sufficient; we have registered our concerns at the Catering Company Council Meeting and will continue to monitor the situation.
TOUCHABLE FUTURE
The RMT Catering Company Council reps were given a presentation on the new Hitachi trains and have been told they will shortly be able to visit the assembly plant in North East England to view the new trains.
We have been advised that although there will be some differences much of the equipment in the new trains will be the same as Pendolinos – obviously with a different layout – this may lead to some changes in how they’re actually worked. So again, training is going to be important – we want effective real training – and expressed our view that the training for the refurbished Pendolino shops was likely to be diluted/inadequate.
We welcome the investment in the new trains – we look forward to seeing them and are pleased management have described them as now being in the “touchable future,” but we do need to ensure that staff are trained properly on all aspects of the new trains.
END SHIFT TIMES ON DAS
The RMT staff side on the Avanti Catering Company Council have asked management if DAS sheets (Daily Appearance Sheets) can also show shift booking off times as well as book on times, astonishingly we have been told the technology doesn’t allow this – but we will continue to pursue this issue and follow it up with the business.
HIGHER GRADE DUTIES
A significant debate took place about higher grade duties and graded staff in diagrams and rosters – higher grade duties have tended to be based on the number of staff on a train, but RMT believes it should also be based on the tasks (like collecting a float and being ultimately responsible for cashing in etc).
Currently staff are working many services on their own but also with reduced levels of staffing on other services – in such circumstances people shouldn’t be short changed when it comes to them picking up even greater workloads and responsibilities.
We are also concerned that graded staff are not being diagrammed or rostered properly at some locations and have raised this – management have undertook to look at the issues we have raised and get back to us with a response.
STAFFING ISSUES FOR DOUBLE VOYAGERS
The RMT Staff side have expressed concern about the lack of through train team working and staff jumping on and off services – whilst this is mega flexible for the business there are potential problems at times of disruption this leaves contingency planning resembling chaos.
We have sought assurances that there is a robust process in place where resources know exactly who is on what trains and where they are even at times of significant disruption.
We have also sought assurances on the working of double voyager sets so that there is a staff member (apart from the driver) in each set and how we can be assured of that if staff are jumping on and off services particularly if they are delayed getting onto a service they are booked to work at times of disruption. Management have undertaken to look at these issues.
REPORT ALL ISSUES OF STAFF ABUSE
Please report all issues of staff assaults and verbal abuse through the internal company process.
There is never an excuse for abusing or assaulting staff carrying out their duties – we are here to help and assist customers but sometimes people treat us badly – when this happens please report it through the company procedures - we can only deal with these issues if we can evaluate the extent of the problems.
RMT is calling for the establishment of a security working action group on Avanti to start to challenge some of these unacceptable behaviours on a co-ordinated basis using industry best practice and experience from other TOCs
UNDER-RESOURCED RESOURCES
The Avanti resource planning team have clearly been under resourced – they do an excellent job trying to keep things together at times of disruption and also dealing with day to day challenges – we value them and the contribution they make to our working lives and the
support they give on board staff.
However, under-resourcing of the resources unit has led to problems in the past and we need to ensure those planning the operation of the train service and allocating staff resources are themselves adequately resourced. Reports of phones going unanswered, or messages being sent out telling people not to contact resources are frustrating – the management need to resource this section properly so that those on the front line have the support they need at all times.
We have asked if the company does any evaluation of how many calls are unanswered or the average times it takes to get a call answered and are awaiting a response.
This is NOT a criticism of those struggling in resources it’s a call to get more of them!
OVERSIGHT OF DIAGRAMS
INCLUDING STP
It has been disappointing to hear reports that staff representatives have not been fully engaged in diagram consultations including STP diagrams. RMT is calling for a “return to normality” when it comes to consultations and negotiations with the staff representatives for Avanti caterers on rosters and diagrams.
Often, when we have been involved, we have been able to identify issues and suggest sensible improvements that have been accepted by management – working together we achieve more. We have also asked for facilities to review the December 2022 diagrams where we had no meaningful oversight of them.
ILL HEALTH ARRANGEMENTS
RMT have written to Avanti expressing concerns about the number of staff being pulled in by management for ill health review meetings – and ending up being served with 90 days’ notice of a termination of employment. We have asked the company for statistical information on the number of staff being put through this process – and how that compares to previous years.
Staff need support and encouragement during instances of ill health not a fast track to the exit doors – informal meetings are fine, we all want to engage with the management and discuss any issues that we may have BUT if things start to become more formal – or Human Resources appear at an informal hearing then ask for the support of a staff representative – if necessary request it in writing and ask for the request to be acknowledged.
We are also questioning the company position in relation to “stood off arrangements” where staff receive special support for up to two years if unable to carry out their roles because of ill health – the stood off arrangements are historical agreements that go back to British Rail days. According to Avanti these important provisions don’t apply to any grades except Drivers – so RMT is asking again what happened to these valuable conditions of service and when were they apparently scrapped. We have no record of them ever being removed so we are asking management for transparency of the process in the issue. We will keep you advised of developments.
