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.

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.