Southern rail workers threaten more strikes as driver-only train dispute enters third year

The RMT union today faced calls to end its dispute with Southern Rail as it marked the second anniversary of the bitter row with further strike threats.

More than 300,000 passengers use Southern trains each day and they have suffered 46 24-hour walkouts — 40 ordered by the RMT and six by Aslef, the train drivers’ union — making it the longest railway industrial dispute.

House prices have suffered on major routes, people have lost their jobs because they could not get to work on time and small businesses near stations have been forced to close, with a total cost to the economy of more than £500 million.

The dispute is over guards losing control of the doors to the driver and an increase in driver-only operation (DOO). The unions say this is unsafe, claims robustly denied by rail chiefs. Similar disputes are taking place on South Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Northern and Merseyrail.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group which represents passenger train operators, said: “No one wins from RMT disputes that attempt to disrupt the lives of people trying to get to work.”

David Leam, policy director at business group London First, said: “It’s time for the RMT to accept these new trains and ways of working are here to stay.” However, the RMT today defied the calls and organised a protest outside Parliament and union leader Mick Cash warned of more strikes to come.

He said: “We are as determined now as we were two years ago to defend the role of the guard on the train and the basic principles of passenger safety and accessibility.”

Andy Bindon, human resources director at GTR, Southern’s parent company, said the changes “were introduced on Southern more than 15 months ago” and added: “We urge the RMT finally to bring an end to this pointless industrial action.”