16.03.18
Union to continue with controversial four-day Easter Weekend strike
Union members working for South Western Railway (SWR) are to go through with a four-day strike running across both bank holidays over the Easter Weekend.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash confirmed that the action would still go ahead between Friday 30 March and Monday 2 April as disputes continue over contentious plans to implement driver-only operation (DOO).
An SWR spokesperson called the action “unnecessary” but said the operator would be aiming to run a normal timetable over the Easter period.
The news follows another similar strike in February, which saw four days of action against SWR over the same issues.
Cash said it was “frankly disgraceful” that the operator had not worked with the RMT to resolve the dispute, adding that he knew the latest strike would have a “serious impact” on services.
In response, SWR said: “Once again, the RMT has chosen to take disruptive industrial action at a time when families and friends traditionally get together to celebrate over a holiday period.
“We will do everything we can to minimise the disruption that this unnecessary action will undoubtedly cause and intend to operate a normal timetable over the Easter period. However, engineering work is planned for some parts of our network so we advise customers to check our website before they travel.”
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