Safety first for rail firms — not profit

STAN Labovitch questions why Southern rail drivers turned down a deal on pay [Letters, June 21]. Media coverage of Southern’s dispute with its staff may well have given Mr Labovitch a misleading impression.

The truth is that the dispute in question is not about pay but about the safety of passengers. The trainoperating company wants to get rid of safety-trained guards on trains and use driver-only operated trains, while passengers and rail staff wish to keep them.

At a time when the issue of public safety is unfortunately most starkly before our eyes in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, this choice should be a no-brainer.

Southern should accept without further delay that its pursuit of private profit is less important than a duty to keep us all safe.