19.10.16
Aslef to ballot drivers over Southern strike
Problems on the Southern franchise look set to get worse as Aslef announced it is to ballot its drivers over potential strike action.
Aslef, like fellow union RMT, is opposed to Southern’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR’s) decision to expand driver-only operated (DOO) services.
The drivers’ union said it failed to come to an agreement in talks with the company on Monday night.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: “We have genuinely sought to reach a compromise with Southern.
“We have always been prepared to talk to the company, and we have always been of the view that it is, or should be, possible to do a deal – as we did with ScotRail – but it takes two to tango and the company has not been prepared to negotiate. They want to impose, not to discuss. They have dug in their heels and forced us to ballot our members.”
The announcement follows a three day guards’ strike from RMT, its seventh industrial action this year, which is due to finish tomorrow.
A GTR spokesperson said: “We are very disappointed that Aslef has decided to ballot its members for industrial action.
“We will now sit down with union officials as quickly as possible to see if we can resolve the issue. If we can’t, we’ll await the outcome of the drivers’ ballot and the union’s next steps and we’ll respond at that time.”
A report from the Transport Select Committee, published last week, said that GTR, the Department for Transport and RMT all bear a portion of the blame for the severe delays and disruption that have affected Southern since GTR took over the franchise.
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an RTM columnist? If so, click here.