Rail union RMT has confirmed that a total of 27 days of strike action will take place in December on South Western Railway after the company dangled a potential breakthrough deal in front of the union and then failed to honour it, offering no reasons for the delay.
The company’s unremitting failure to give assurances that their new operational model won’t move to Driver Controlled Operation – with the role of the guard butchered completely – means the union has been left with no alternative but to call further industrial action.
Guard, Commercial Guards and Driver members are being instructed to strike between Monday 2nd and Thursday 12th December, then again from Friday 13th December until Christmas Day. There would then be a further strike from Friday 27th December until 2nd January.
It is unclear at this stage how this will affect Island Line trains, which are operated by South Western Railway.
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, says:
“Our members have been left with no choice but to call a further 27 days of strike action on South Western Railway.
“At the last meeting we held with SWR principles in agreements were made in good faith with the company’s negotiating team and we now feel hugely let down again. As long as the company continues to refuse to give assurances on the future operational role of the guard we will remain in dispute.
“I want to congratulate our members on their continued resolve in their fight for safety and the role of the guard on SWR. It is wholly down to the management side that the core issue of the safety critical competencies and the role of the guard has not been agreed.
Article continues below this advertisement “The union remains available for talks.”
UPDATE WEDNESDAY 13th – It has now been confirmed that RMT members from Island Line will not be striking in December.
It was initially reported by Island Echo that it was unclear how the proposed strike action would affect Island Line.
They must need extra time to get their Christmas shopping done
It’s called progress get used to it and get back to work
And this will affect passengers differently than the normally cancelled service how exactly??
Shouthern vectis is the option then..much more reliable anyway
31 days in December, their going on strike for 27 of them, does that mean they will be working the, 24th, 25th, 26th and 31st ??
the button pushers at it again