Southern Rail strike set to go ahead as sides remain at loggerheads

RMT and Southern Rail bosses were due to hold fresh talks today as the two sides remained at loggerheads over their year-long train guards dispute.

Another 24-hour walkout by guards – the 31st so far – is set to go ahead this Saturday.

Union resolve has strengthened in the wake of Aslef train drivers yesterday narrowly rejecting a deal agreed by the union leadership.

Paul Cox, RMT South East organiser, said the result proved the “genuine concern” of drivers over the implementation of driver-only operated trains where the driver has responsibility for operation of the train doors.

He accused Aslef leaders of being “out of touch with reality” in recommending acceptance of the deal.

An RMT spokesman said: “We remain committed to reaching a deal. We believe there is a deal to be done, as we did with ScotRail.” The crux of the Southern dispute remains the company’s insistence that in “exceptional circumstances” a train will run without its scheduled guard or on-board supervisor. This, says the company, is to maintain the timetable and prevent cancellations.

Union research shows that three trains a day out of 2,200 services – just 0.14 per cent – operate, sometimes only part of the route, with just the driver.

ScotRail agreed a policy of no second person on board, then no train. An RMT source said: “A very very small number of trains are involved and we could easily do a deal the same as we did with ScotRail.”

Aslef has a mandate to order more strikes but has held off doing so to allow fresh talks.

These have yet to be arranged again leaving Southern’s 300,000 plus daily passengers uncertain when they will be free of the strike threat.