Lodging Away?

I have recently become aware of feeler's being put out from management on the subject of lodging away for work, I beleive it is in connection with work that's likely to be taking place shortly in the Wigan area.

Apparently the driving force behind it is Network Rail, and their reluctance to see continue the high levels of non-allocated time. So it appears that Network Rail are turning the screws abit on AmeyColas, and they are exploring possible solutions to the problem, lodging being one.

I know the PSM staff are in the process of a reorganisation at the present time, and that us in the gangs were unaffected. But these signs would seem to indicate that it could soon be otherwise.

It hasn't taken too much thought to reach a decision upon the matter, for myself it is an enphatic "NO THANK YOU!". Now the downside may not be to my liking whatsoever, but then the prospect of being part of what is effectively a gypsy workforce, working anywhere in the country isn't to my liking either.

I started as a depot based worker, and I wish to remain so, I have no interest whatsoever in becoming a mobile worker. If I had then I would have worked for an agency a long time ago.

Lodging away has always been something that is a rarity for us, not the norm. something you did when you had an ES course or a Crane controller's course. As such the frequency has always been extremely low and tolerable.

The frequency that it looks like it is being envisaged would have a dramatic and major impact on my work-life balance, and as such would be an intolerable scenario.

I remember one former colleague who was classed as a mobile worker, said to me that in some eighteen years on the job, the longest period that he had spent in his own bed at any one time during that eighteen years was about three weeks in total.

So for me it's NO! all the way.