Transport union TSSA has raised concerns over Transport for Wales' new HQ in Pontypridd saying there has been a lack of consultation and it will add considerable commuting time for staff.
Transport for Wales (TfW), the transport body of the Welsh Government, has signed a 15 year lease (active from October) on 60,000 sq ft of space at the new 3 Llys Cadwyn building in the centre of Ponytpridd.
Initially the building will house 300 TfW staff, which will also includes those that come under the Transport for Wales Rail Services banner, which are KeolisAmey employees that are responsible for the Wales and borders rail franchise as well as delivering the next phase of the South Wales Metro project, which electrification of the core Valley Lines as well as the Coryton and City Lines in Cardiff.
In the near future the HQ, which TfW will relocate from Cardiff into in November, will be home to 500 staff.
However, TSSA (the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association) organising director, Steve Cox, says there was concern amongst Transport for Wales Rail Services staff, the vast majority of which are union members, over the move.
Mr Cox, said: “Many of our members are unhappy about the move. Nearly half the staff now based in Cardiff will have their journey times to work extended by well over an hour each day.
"There is great uncertainty about the implications of the move. And KeolisAmey has so far failed to engage in meaningful consultation with the TSSA, cancelling scheduled meetings with TSSA reps at short notice. And there is no sign of any discussions with Transport for Wales.
“Given that the move is apparently weeks away, we would by now expect to have received proposals from both employers about how they intend to address the problems and issues faced by their staff.
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“Is it any wonder that a competition run by KeolisAmey amongst staff to name the meeting-rooms in the new Pontypridd HQ have been greeted with derision? Our members want reassurance, not gimmicks.”
He said the union’s relationship with the previous holder of the Wales and Borders rail franchise, Arriva Trains Wales, was a challenged one, with hopes of a more positive one with KeolisAmey.
He added: “Our members suffered years of dysfunctional employee relations and unnecessarily acrimonious negotiations, leading to a number of legacy issues that are still unresolved. The takeover by KeolisAmey in October 2018 saw TSSA promise more positive industrial relations and ‘social partnership’. Whilst social partnership is often referred to by the employer, TSSA has yet to see this translated into reality.
“TSSA wants to work with TfW and KeolisAmey to make the move to Pontpridd a success. But that will be hampered by a continuing refusal by those employers to talk to us and address the very real issues faced by our members.”
Lisa Yates, director of people and organisational development, Transport for Wales said:“At Transport for Wales we’ve contractually clarified in our recruitment process about the move to Pontypridd in 2020.
"We’ve also undertaken a huge engagement programme with our staff about the move including 1-1 sessions with all staff, comprehensive FAQ staff sessions and the move is also a standing topic on our company-wide calls where we encourage questions from staff.
“We are dynamic and flexible in our ways of working, and we’ve recently conducted an ‘ideal workspace’ survey to gain additional feedback from all our staff. We’re excited about the future and the move to our new HQ in Pontypridd.
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“Our colleagues at Transport for Wales Rail Services are also looking forward to benefiting from being able to work closely together in a single location.
"They are taking positive learnings from recent new working practices that have resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic, which means their consultation process begins in earnest now.
"They are continuing to explore a number of programmes including working from home options, desk sharing on alternate days, voluntary relocation to Pontypridd for people living locally and flexible working across multiple locations.
“They are in ongoing consultation with colleagues and the Unions and monitoring the situation with Covid-19.”