"LODGING TURNS":
What constitutes a with Trade Unions;
ANNEX B Page 239 of 366
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WHAT THE DISPUTE IS ABOUT
"Lodging Turn"; Agreement
Frequency of Lodging Turns; Lodging Allowance; Hostels
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What is a "lodging turn"?
All workings of locomotives and their crews are based on motive power depots. As far as possible, the working of engine crews is so designed that the men start their turil of duty at their home depot and return there by the expiry of their recognised turn of duty - between 8 and 9 hours. This is achieved, either by working an outward trip to a point from which they can return with the same or another locomotive to the starting point by the time required, or by working a longer outward trip and then returning to their home depot as passengers.
There are many instancos where the outward trips have to be kept uneconomically short if the men are to work another train home within the time required, while to bring men home as passengers when they are being paid for working is wasteful of both money and man-power. Moreover, the stopping of long-distance trains intermediately for the sole purpose of changing engineen slows down traffic, wastes line capacity, and, by reason of the ample margins which have to be allowed in order to ensure that a train shall not be held up waiting for a relief crew, is again wasteful of man-power. In the case of long-distance passenger trains which may be already fully loaded with through passengers, the convenience and comfort of the public may be affected by the unnecessary congestion caused in trains that would not otherwise stop.
For these reasons, the practice of working loco- motives over as long distances as practicable by a single crew, who lodge at the end (or at a convenient stage of) the journey, and return home next day, is an important factor in sound railway working; the same principle also applies to the rostering of guards.
Arrangement covered by long-standing agreement
The long-established principle of "lodging turns" was confirmed by the National Agreement (1919) with the Trade Unions, and prior to the outbreak of war in 1939 the system was in widespread use. As a temporary expedient during the war, however, the former railway companies greatly reduced the number of lodging turns, according to the circumstances of each route, in order to spare men the anxiety of being away fro home during enemy air raids, and owing to war-time difficulties in feeding and private lodging arrangements.
With the return of more normal conditions, and with the extensive provision of railway hostels, the railway companies and latterly the Railway Executive have sought to restore lodging turns where necessary in order to assist the restoration of more efficient and economical working, the laster aspect being particularly important in view of the higher costa of labour and materials,
and materials, and the shorter worl
and the shorter working week introduced in 1947Page 239 of 366°
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