Southern rail strike: Transport secretary criticises unions

Commuters were earlier warned not to travel on Tuesday by Southern

Rail unions have been accused by the transport secretary of "having little interest" in resolving the Southern dispute as a bid to stop further strikes failed.

Writing to MPs, Chris Grayling said officials were "hell-bent on fomenting" the dispute over driver-only trains.

Members of the union Aslef will strike on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Southern's parent company Govia Thameslink (GTR) had tried to halt the action but lost an appeal court ruling.

Earlier, the strike-hit rail operator warned passengers not to travel on Tuesday, irrespective of the outcome of the last-ditch bid to halt a walkout.

GTR had asked the Court of Appeal on Monday to overturn last week's High Court refusal to grant an injunction blocking the "unprecedented" action.

Following the decision, GTR chief executive Charles Horton said there would be no services on strike days and "severe disruption" during an ongoing overtime ban.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said drivers had been forced to strike because of the company's "intransigence".

The union also has a week-long walkout planned from 9 to 14 January.

The RMT union has been staging strikes since April in a separate dispute over the role of conductors, and is also planning further stoppages either side of Christmas.

Southern's parent company Govia Thameslink had sought an injunction to stop Aslef's strikes

Mr Grayling said he wrote to the unions last week offering to meet them for talks if they called off industrial action.

He added that Southern had offered fresh talks at the conciliation service Acas on Sunday, but the drivers' union "didn't turn up".

But Mr Whelan said Aslef would only hold talks if the appeal court action was called off, while RMT leader Mick Cash said his side had made it clear to Mr Grayling the union was prepared to meet him for "serious and meaningful" talks.

'Management cave in'

Mr Grayling, who is also MP for Epsom and Ewell - an area affected by the strikes - claimed he was warned of "10 years of industrial action" the first time he met the leader of Aslef.

He added in his letter: "My ministerial and official team and I have been working hard since we took over our jobs just under five months ago to try to find a way through this.

"But the unions appear to have little interest in resolving the dispute unless the management cave in totally to their demands.

"These are not just to stop the current modernisation process, but to start reversing 30 years of working practice changes right across the country."

Chris Grayling is also the MP for Epsom and Ewell - an area affected by the strikes

Mr Horton said he was "disappointed" at the appeal court's decision.

"We had a responsibility to the travelling public to do what we could to stop this unprecedented strike action.

"Regrettably, there will be no train services for passengers tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday. We strongly advise people not to travel.

"In addition, there will be severe disruption every day during the ongoing industrial action because of the union's overtime ban."

There will also be a limited Gatwick Express service.

Describing the industrial action as "wholly unjustified and unnecessary", Mr Horton said the widespread use of drivers operating trains was "perfectly safe" on Southern and elsewhere in the UK.

He added that he would now be asking Acas to convene "urgent and immediate talks" between GTR and Aslef.

Mr Whelan said the union wanted the operator to negotiate "in good faith".

"We have tried everything possible this year to reach a sensible and workable compromise with Southern in the interests of passengers and management as well as of staff.

"We have always been prepared to sit down and talk," he said.

Southern planned rail strike dates:

00:01: Tuesday 13 December to 23:59 Wednesday 14 December (Aslef)

00:01 Friday 16 December to 23:59: Friday 16 December (Aslef)

00:01 Monday 19 December to 23:59 Tuesday 20 December (RMT)

00:01 Saturday 31 December to 23:59 Monday 2 January (RMT)

00:01 Monday 9 January to 23:59: Saturday 14 January (Aslef)