Southern overtime ban resumes… passenger court case fails

SOUTHERN Railway cancelled one in four services from June 29, as drivers in the ASLEF union resumed an indefinite overtime ban.

The company had hoped to lay on additional trains the following week, but found it did not have sufficient drivers available to extend the temporary timetable.

The drivers are protesting about the use of Driver Only Operation (DOO), although a majority of them have been controlling train doors since a previous overtime ban was suspended in January.

As this issue of RAIL closed for press, ASLEF was also due to announce the result of a ballot for industrial action over a pay deal in which basic salaries would rise by 24% to more than £60,000 for a 35-hour four-day week ( RAIL 830.)

ASLEF said the deal required drivers to accept DOO as the standard working method on Southern and Gatwick Express. In comparison, GWR is currently advertising for inter-city drivers on a salary of £46,000.

Other train operators have expressed concern at the scale of the pay offer. Southern operates as a management contract, so it is thought the offer has been sanctioned by the Government, which is under political pressure for maintaining a 1% pay cap for public sector workers.

ASLEF had twice reached a deal with Southern to end the dispute. Twice it put the deal to its members in a ballot, and twice the drivers went against the advice of their union and rejected the compromise on offer.

Southern has concentrated on running trains in south London and on the Brighton Main Line. Marginal routes such as direct services to Portsmouth and Southampton have suffered the greatest impact. Up to the resumption of the overtime ban, Southern’s performance had improved by 23%.

Conductors in the RMT union held a 33rd day of strike action on July 10. The company said passengers barely noticed, as there was no impact on the amended timetable already running to accommodate the ASLEF overtime ban.