25.05.16
Southern release figures on ‘remarkable’ sickness absences following strike
Recent delays on the Southern line have been caused by an unusually high rate of conductor absence due to sickness that coincided with the current strikes, according to new figures from the company.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), Southern’s parent company, said today that it has had to cancel an average of 83 services a day due to 1,066 days of conductor absence in the past 32 days.
In the two weeks prior to the beginning of conductor strikes on 26 April, there was an average of 23 conductors off sick every day. In the two weeks after the strike, the number reached 40, and is now at 45.
In the last month, 74 conductors have had at least one day of sickness absence, amounting to one in six conductors having had a day’s sickness.
A GTR spokesperson said: “We would not usually release such information, but passengers deserve to know the reasons behind the unusually high level of train cancellations they are presently experiencing.
“For those conductors who are ill the company is offering all the support we are able to and working out how they can get back to work. But these figures show a remarkable and unprecedented level of sickness absence which commenced at the time of the first strike. We are presently looking into what steps can be taken to investigate this deterioration in the health of conductors across the south of England.”
GTR have not been able to reach an agreement with RMT, the union leading the strikes, in the dispute over the introduction of driver-operated only (DOO) trains, where the conductor does not have the power to open the doors.
Yesterday RMT blamed the continuing delays on GTR not hiring enough staff to cover shifts. RTM contacted RMT for a statement in response to the new figures, but they did not reply at the time of publication.
In a separate move, London Underground engineers voted in favour of striking in an RMT ballot yesterday meaning that the introduction of the Night Tube could be further delayed.
(Top image c. Dominic Lipinski from PA Wire. Graph c. GTR)
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