Southern Rail strike: Drivers suspend action for fresh peace talks

Walkout: Commuters queue for services during a previous strike
Jeremy Selwyn
Dick Murray18 January 2017

ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has suspended three days of strikes on Southern Rail next week in return for fresh talks which will take place tomorrow.

The strikes, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday threatened to bring Southern Rail to a halt for most of the week.

The talks will be direct cross table and different from the failed meetings at Acas, the conciliation service.

All sides were putting great importance on the meeting with the hope that an end to the bitter 10 month long dispute which has seen repeated strike actions causing massive disruption to Southern’s 300,000 a day passengers could at last be in sight.

Aslef, the train drivers’ union, offered to suspend the strikes in return for “intensive” talks with rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR,) parent company of Southern, under the auspices of TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady.

The Government immediately welcomed the move with Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, “suggesting” that talks be jointly-chaired by Andy Meadows, group human resources director, at rail operator Abellio, the public transport giant.

ASlef immediately agreed to Meadows joint chairing the talks.

Mick Whelan, the Aslef chief, said: “I am today proposing a new process to try and find a resolution to our industrial dispute with Southern Rail. We propose that

Aslef and Southern engage in intensive talks under the auspices of the TUC, and as soon as possible.

“Given the implications of this dispute for the wider railway industry, I am also asking the Secretary of State for Transport to support this new process.

‘Aslef believes that the best way to resolve the dispute at Southern is for all parties to engage in meaningful talks – without preconditions – aimed at finding an agreed way forward.”

A spokesman for the Department for Transport (DfT) DfT said: “The DfT welcomes Aslef’s offer to suspend industrial action on Southern Rail to allow for a new round of intensive talks aimed at resolving the current dispute.

“However, in order to aid this process, the Secretary for Transport has suggested that these talks be jointly chaired by Andy Meadows, Group HR Director at Abellio, and Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC.”

The dispute, which began last April and sparked a series of walkouts by RMT union train guards is over the implementation of driver-only operated (DOO) trains.

Charles Horton, GTR chief executive said: “We’ve always made clear our willingness to engage in meaningful talks with ASLEF to find a route forward to end their dispute.

“So, together with our passengers and businesses, we warmly welcome their decision to suspend next week’s planned industrial action. This is an important and significant development for the travelling public and the regional economy and our focus and efforts now will be on productive talks with the union and trying to find a solution and a way forward.

"We are grateful to Frances O’Grady and Andy Meadows for agreeing to chair jointly this important new round of talks and they have our unequivocal endorsement and support.”

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