(29 Mar 2017, 5:46 pm)Adrian wrote Do you honestly think there wouldn't be? 2000 staff with the majority being drivers, working obscure shift pattern, and across several locations? I'd suggest the system is almost cast iron.

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I'd suggest anything less than 4 weeks notice to alter a shift is unreasonable. All employees, no matter who they work for, are entitled to a work-life balance. Giving them one lot of shifts, and then changing them for another with minimal notice, is unreasonable in my opinion. Plenty of opportunity for businesses to resource with volunteers working a rest day or overtime, if needs must.

Planned Metro tenders are normally awarded ages in advance, but even then, it is with volunteers to some degree from what I've seen, based on which drivers are working those services. The emergency requests (rather than tenders) for replacement buses is usually staffed with lead drivers and others that are not scheduled to be on the road.

BIB: I think the system probably is 'cast-iron'. My comment was in response to northern156's suggestion drivers could have the bank holiday weekend off because they fancied it. 

I see your argument for the 4 week notice for an issued roster, but it's only reasonable to expect GNE to impose the same rules on driver's holiday or day off requests. In effect, if a driver doesn't request to be off on a particular day with 4 weeks notice, they can't expect to get it. 

The loadings on some key routes have been so high on Good Friday in the past have been so high I'd suggest GNE could even staff then with agency drivers and still turn a profit.