12 December 2016
RMT Press Office:
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“It is an absolute pack of lies for Chris Grayling to say that we were offered ACAS talks in the Southern disputes and refused to turn up. RMT has responded positively to every attempt to get the talks process back on, from Brighton and Hove Albion, the bishops and the Tory MP Maria Caulfield, every single one of those initiatives has been turned down flat by the company.
“RMT has also made it clear to Mr Grayling that we are prepared to meet with him. It is now down to the Transport Secretary to set out the status of those talks and to make it clear that he is now taking direct responsibility for his contractors – GTR/Southern. If he does that then serious and meaningful talks can take place.
“Instead of peddling the same old spin about political strikes and unofficial action, all of which is total nonsense, Chris Grayling should get out of his bunker and start taking direct and immediate responsibility. That is the way we can start to make progress in resolving the disputes on Southern Rail and he knows it.”
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