Guildford Commuters Standing By For a Month of Industrial Action

Published on: 20 Nov, 2019
Updated on: 20 Nov, 2019

Commuters arriving back at Guildford Station this evening. Photo Hugh Coakley

By Martin Giles

Guildford commuters are bracing themselves for disruption to their daily journeys if RMT members carry out their threat to take strike action.

The union has announced 27 days of rail strikes during December and on New Year’s Day as part of a long-running dispute over train guards.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said its staff at South Western Railway (SWR) had been left with “no choice” but to take industrial action.

A union spokesperson said the dispute would continue for as long as SWR “refuse to give assurances” on the role of guards and that its new operational model won’t move to Driver Controlled Operation. The fear is that guards could be phased out.

SWR has said it was “extremely disappointed” by the planned strikes.

A spokesperson for the company added: “The deliberate targeting of services up to, and during, the Christmas period is typical of the lack of concern the RMT continues to have for our customers.”

The union has told its members not to book on for duty:

• From 00:01 GMT on Monday 2 December until 23:59 on Wednesday 11 December
• From 00:01 on Friday 13 December until 23:59 on Tuesday 24 December
• From 00:01 on Friday 27 December 2019 until 23:59 on the 1 January

The strike coincides with the introduction of new trains on which train drivers will control the closing of doors, normally part of the guard’s duties.

But RMT dismisses the idea that the row with the management of South Western Railway is merely about who closes a train’s doors.

“[That’s] a very small part of it,” senior assistant general secretary Steve Hedley, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.

Warning notice for passengers at Guildford Station. Photo Hugh Coakley

“The guard is there for the operational safety of a train, to evacuate it in an emergency, to make sure that people are safe on a train – assaults are up over 100%, sexual assaults are up 140% – disabled accessibility to the train.”

He claimed: “It is clearly a management tactic to try to devalue the job. To say it is about opening and closing doors is not the case at all. Our members are absolutely livid and this comes on the back of them cancelling several days of planned action during the summer and the autumn.”

Guildford commuters were questioned this evening about the action. One said: “It will cause untold misery for lots of people.” But another said “They are justified but it will cause problems. Instead of striking, RMT members should let people travel but just not take the fares.” and a third added: “They are justified. It is a worker right to strike.”

Asked if they would be happy to travel on trains without guards, one said: “If I had to, but I’m much happier with a guard for security,” and another: “No. They are saving money in all the wrong places.”

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