Southern Rail passengers face months of disruption
The Guardian, 4th January 2017
A six-day strike by drivers on Southern rail next week has been cut to three days, but there will be three further strike days at the end of the month. The general secretary of Aslef, Mick Whelan, said the move did not mean the union was rolling back and warned of further strikes. “We are taking a longer-term view of this trade dispute,” he said. “The company has not been prepared to move – it is simply going through the motions, turning up at Acas, as it did yesterday, and telling us that it intends to impose driver-only operation. It is difficult to negotiate with people who are not prepared to be flexible. We still believe a deal can be done but we are, at the moment, a long way from that position.” Southern’s passengers have suffered months of disruption because of industrial action, staff shortages and other problems.
