Here we go again: Another day, another railway drivers’ strike. If you’re stuck, stranded, or underarmed in our currently ransomed transportation network, you can expect a tough negotiator to rein in the unions. Imagine: instead, a deal has recently been struck between rail union Aslef and train company Avanti West Coast under which drivers will be paid a flat £600 per shift if they work overtime on top of their 40-hour weekly contract. They currently earn an average salary of £70,000. This means the average annual salary for many drivers could rise to almost £100,000.
Unsurprisingly, Avanti’s offer, designed to stave off future strikes by breaking the deadlock on overtime, was immediately accepted by Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan. The overtime agreement will last for one year and will reduce cancellations due to driver shortages. Figures released at the end of 2023 showed Avanti was the least punctual of all train operators, with only 46 per cent of its services arriving on time.
However, £600 for drivers to work on rest days is sweet stuff. A spokesperson for Aslef points out that Avanti is a private company that makes a profit every year and returns a portion of that profit to its shareholders: this is not taxpayers’ money. But the deal was still criticized, with Conservative MP Greg Smith, a member of the House of Commons transport committee, describing the payments as “utterly outrageous”. “People are going to be very angry about this,” he said.
The inflated shift rate is certainly an outlier compared to most industries and comes at a time when many other workers are feeling the pinch. Recently the Government introduced new rules regarding holiday pay for non-regular and part-time workers. This means that instead of receiving their full holiday entitlement at the start of the year as full-time workers do, five million British workers on temporary or irregular contracts will have to gain these rights gradually throughout the year. Experts say changes to holiday entitlements are one of the most significant erosions of employment protections since Britain left the EU.
The erosion of paid leave for shift workers comes alongside a host of other negatives. Most shift workers work in the hospitality industry, where typical pay can be £80-150 per day. Chris Sanderson, founder of Limber, a flexible shift working platform, says: “Shift work is popular, often because some people want to work more than one job to supplement their finances, or because people need flexibility due to childcare commitments.
“But most shift workers are paid minimum wage; This amount is currently £10.42, but will rise to £11.44 in April. That’s just £83.36 for an eight-hour shift.” The Living Wage Foundation suggests people should be paid an hourly wage of £12, or £13.15 in London, or £105.20 per shift. “While I realize many businesses are struggling, I certainly wouldn’t want to live on £83.36 a day,” says Sanderson. “But equally £600 will seem too much to many people.”
In addition to low wages for certain shift work, there are also health problems, especially for those who work at night; this is thought to be about one in nine. In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified night shift work as “probably carcinogenic.” There is also strong evidence that night shift work can contribute to serious, chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and depression. According to 2023 data from the NHS, 45 percent of women working shift hours have a long-term illness, while 39 percent of women working non-shift hours have a long-term illness. For men, this rate was 36 percent versus 40 percent. And very few people are charging £600 to fix these negatives. So how do other shift rates compare?
Entry conditions: To work as a butcher or butcher woman you must have a license from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and be 18 years of age or over. If your job involves delivery duties, you may need a driver’s license. You can enter this job through a 1.5-year university course, apprenticeship or direct application.
Advantages: You may become a shift supervisor or manager, or be involved in quality control, product development or food marketing. At butcheries you can prepare meat for specialist catering orders; Butchery is a profession that requires a lot of skill.
Disadvantages: It is potentially dangerous and cruel.
Entry conditions: Not for seasonal work. Regular farm work can be applied for directly or after a university course such as an agriculture degree. To do this you need to pass five GCSEs. You need a good fitness level.
Advantages: You work outdoors planting and packing crops, so although you’re demanding, it’s without the stress of a public-facing role.
Disadvantages: The job is seasonal and you’re outside in all weather conditions.
Entry conditions: Six months of professional experience or the ability to demonstrate practical experience in land, conservation and access management.
Advantages: Working outdoors and the benefits of protecting nature. It’s equally rewarding if you’re comfortable dealing with people.
Disadvantages: Working outdoors regardless of the weather, working at night.
Entry conditions: Neither is required, but you could take a university course in barista skills or food and beverage services.
Advantages: Your skills will always be in demand and you’ll benefit from employee discounts.
Disadvantages: Low pay for early start, fast and challenging work.
Entry conditions: Full UK driving license with class 2 rating; They must undergo a theoretical and practical evaluation to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards.
Advantages: Often discounts in high street shops, financial and legal assistance.
Disadvantages: Steering a truck on narrow roads and in busy city centers is more difficult than driving a train on two open roads. Night work is harmful to mental and physical health.
Entry conditions: You can apply directly for roles or take a university course to gain a diploma in care or a certificate in health and social care. It may involve one or two years of training.
Advantages: Rewards such as caring for the elderly and vulnerable, a workplace pension scheme, paid breaks and free meals on shift.
Disadvantages: Night work is harmful to mental and physical health.
Entry conditions: You’ll need to be a fully qualified, registered pharmacist (requires four years of training – at least two years more than train drivers) and have at least six months’ experience in a dispensary setting.
Advantages: You can often negotiate wages and ask to work within your community.
Disadvantages: Constantly changing companies can be lonely.
Entry conditions: After a five-year dental degree (which is already at least three years more training than an Avanti train driver), you usually need a year or two of experience working in an NHS/mixed dental practice.
Advantages: They are in high demand with full-time, part-time or freelance jobs.
Disadvantages: It can involve a lot of traveling and being thrown into the deep end. Lack of support from regular colleagues can also be a problem.
Entry conditions: Must have GMC registration along with application license. It can take up to 10 years to train as a counselor. Must be DBS approved and have extensive clinical experience in addition to two references from last employer. Consultants may be in a variety of fields, such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, and oncology.
Advantages: A generous way to boost your normal NHS pay.
Disadvantages: As in the locum dentist above. Although they are the only shift workers on the list who earn more per shift than Avanti train drivers, many of them will have had eight more years of training to get to that point.