Southern Rail Staff To Stage 48-Hour Strike In September

Workers at Southern Railway are going to stage a 48-hour walkout next month in the long-running row over train guards.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced its members will walk out on 7 and 8 September.

Changes to the role of guards were imposed from Sunday, with drivers taking over responsibility for closing doors.

Southern Rail argues it will result in faster and more punctual services and will not threaten any jobs or pay.

The RMT claims the change will jeopardise safety.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "This action has been forced on us by the arrogance and inaction of Govia Thameslink and the Government, who have made it clear they have no interest in resolving this dispute or in tackling the daily chaos on Southern.

"Instead they have begun the process of bulldozing through the drive towards wholesale driver only operation (DOO) without agreement and without any concern for the impact on safety, security and disability access.

"Our fight is with the company and the Government who have dragged this franchise into total meltdown.

"We share the anger and frustration of passengers and we cannot sit back while jobs and safety are compromised on these dangerously-overcrowded trains.

"It is disgraceful that neither the company nor the Government are prepared to engage and are looking to bully through the extension of DOO and the attack on the guards from last Sunday regardless.

"They should wake up and get round the table now as an urgent priority."

Southern's services have been disrupted for months because of industrial action and staff shortages, which the company blamed on high levels of sickness absence.

Commuters and other passengers have staged demonstrations to protest about the state of the services.

Earlier this month, staff set up picket lines at stations across the company's network after talks to resolve the dispute failed.

Trains across London, East and West Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire were disrupted for most of the week.

The planned five-day walkout became three days after it was suspended on Thursday and Friday , but disruption to passengers continued.