The Barriers to Flexibility: Flexible Rostering on the Railways

Abstract

This paper reports a case study investigation of the implementation of flexible rostering in British Rail. It is found that this initiative did not secure readily identifiable improvements in flexibility or efficiency and indeed resulted in some new rigidities in work organisation. The national agreement introducing flexible rostering took a skeletal form, reflecting the priority in the public sector of reducing rather than adding to national level work regulation, and left potential conflicts with other agreements and practices to be resolved at the workplace. Workplace representatives were able to stamp their interests onto outcomes because local managers needed their expertise and consent to implement the scheme.