When I suggest that people should work according to their contracts I'm told off for being unreasonable.

It's strange how effective work-to-rule can be as a form of industrial action.

It seems insane to run a business where you're leaving yourself open to it. But then, chances are that if you do that then you're shafting your employees so I've no sympathy.

Engineers at my place work insane hours. If they all suddenly decided they didn't want overtime everything would grind to a halt. There are only two network people and usually only two or three server people what with holidays and sick leave. One of them has to stay up all night every night to make sure something works. They all work all weekend, every weekend. I don't know how it can be allowed.

That's what I was getting at but apparently I'm totally wrong and unreasonable to suggest such a thing, because workers will get sacked for working to their contracts, even though that's illegal. Also they can't afford to wait for the tribunal they would win. I stand corrected.

I was going to say something along the lines of: yes, but if that means drivers won't have the opportunity to work overtime in the future they are cutting off their nose to spite their face.

Then I read the article, and it seems clear that FCC are relying on overtime to an unhealthy extent.

Yeah - the WAGN line was closed down on Sunday because nobody is contracted to drive trains on Sundays. That's insane.

*boggles*

Every time I ever travel on East Midlands Trains to/from Leicester at the weekend the buffet is closed (100% record!), and sometimes there is no train conductor. I've been told that this is because they don't contract anybody to work on Sundays; the entire service is run from voluntary overtime, and if staff don't volunteer then that's that.

I wish Midland Mainline would come back. As well as not being shit, they used to give you free coffee as well.