Southern rail will provide service through the RMT union’s strike
Southen rail commuters are set for another day of disrupted service tomorrow as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union conductors go ahead with strike action.
Southern owner Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has confirmed more than 70 per cent of its trains will run, a 10 per cent increase from previous strikes, and a full service will resume Tuesday.
Strike action by RMT members will affect service Monday 23 January. Full details of routes affected https://t.co/mWq6qrj0LL #SouthernStrike
— Southern (@SouthernRailUK) January 22, 2017
Both the RMT and Aslef unions have been locked in a bitter dispute with the train operator over the role of the guard, which has led to ongoing industrial action.
Read more: Don’t believe the unions’ bogus claims against Southern Rail
Aslef suspended its industrial action for next week after the train operator agreed to fresh talks, which came after the rail firm had said it intended to take Aslef to Supreme Court over the industrial action.
The RMT was left out of these talks, said general secretary Mick Cash. "We demand and expect a positive response to our fresh demand for a seat at the negotiating table," he added.
Angie Doll, Southern's passenger services director, called the action "pointless" because of Southern's increased services.
"Due to the changes we've now fully rolled out, we're now able to run more services on more routes serving more passengers, and ultimately we'll have fewer cancellations and delays."
Around 200 extra trains will be running, she said, with several routes having trains running for the first time on an RMT strike day.
Doll said Southern remains open to talks with RMT.