RMT announces 27 days of strike action on SWR

5 November 2019

RMT Press Office:

Rail union RMT has confirmed that a total of 27 days of strike action will take place in December on South Western Railway after the company dangled a potential breakthrough deal in front of the union and then failed to honour it, offering no reasons for the delay.

The company’s unremitting failure to give assurances that their new operational model won't move to Driver Controlled Operation – with the role of the guard butchered completely – means the union has been left with no alternative but to call further industrial action.

As a result of SWR’s failure to move forwards on an agreement RMT members will take action as follows:

We instruct our Guard, Commercial Guards and Driver members to take the following strike action:-

• Not to book on for duty from 00:01 on Monday 2nd December 2019 until 23:59 on Wednesday 11th December
• Not to book on for duty from 00:01 on Friday 13th December until 23:59 on Tuesday 24th December 2019
• Not to book on duty from 00:01 on Friday 27th December 2019 until 23:59 on the 1st January 2020

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“Our members have been left with no choice but to call a further 27 days of strike action on South Western Railway.

“At the last meeting we held with SWR principles in agreements were made in good faith with the company’s negotiating team and we now feel hugely let down again. As long as the company continues to refuse to give assurances on the future operational role of the guard we will remain in dispute.

“I want to congratulate our members on their continued resolve in their fight for safety and the role of the guard on SWR. It is wholly down to the management side that the core issue of the safety critical competencies and the role of the guard has not been agreed.

“The union remains available for talks.”

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