Tuesday 14 July 2009

National Express - making careers simpler

Telegrammed by our International Correspondent
TUPE regulations mean that front line East Coast staff have little to fear on the jobs front when the troubled franchise transfers from NatEx to the state.

In reality the franchise will actually transfer to the ubiquitous First Class Partnerships, the Operator of Last Resort and DafT's chosen henchmen for nationalisation work, whose members will be dropped into senior positions at the TOC to replace those directly employed by the departing owner group.

Leaving the displaced bods to rely on NatEx internal re-deployment schemes when the Route of the Flying Scotsman joins Royal Mail, British Waterways and Jobcentre Plus in state ownership.

Of course NatEx is not flavour of the month at DafT right now, and may yet have all its rail businesses confiscated, which Frankly may reduce the remaining career opportunities.

A development that has led cynical train planners to propose changing the reporting number of the iconic 10.00 departure from the Cross to 1P45.