Southern Rail strikes to go ahead after last-ditch peace talks fail

Southern Rail strikes will go ahead next week after last-ditch peace talks collapsed, union bosses said.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union confirmed today’s talks – which were hoped to bring an end to the ongoing dispute over conductors - had fallen through without agreement.

Southern Rail and RMT bosses today spent more than three hours trying to resolve the row ahead of a series of 24-hour strikes planned to begin next Tuesday.

The three-day walk out will see strikes by all Southern Rail train guards from Tuesday, October 11 until Thursday, October 13.

The union said the train operator had rejected "perfectly reasonable" proposals it had put forward.

On Monday the train company told RMT to take their final offer or staff would be sacked, with a deadline of 12pm today.

It was then announced the union had tabled new proposals in peace talks today.

The collapsed talks will affect Southern customers, who have faced delays and cancellations from previous strikes.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The union is angry and disappointed that a fresh set of proposals put forward today, that address both our issues and the company agenda, have been rejected out of hand with barely a cursory glance.

"The travelling public will be rightly angry that the company have kicked back in our faces a chance to resolve this long-running dispute.

"There was a real chance of getting a negotiated solution on track today but Southern have not only slammed the door on that but they have also rejected RMT's offer to draft in Acas immediately to try and close the gap and broker a settlement. That is scandalous.

"This week we have seen Southern launch a botched attempt to incite the public against their frontline workforce.

"Today that same company have shown that they have no interest in negotiating with the staff union and are hell-bent on having a punch-up with the rail workers who keep the travelling public safe."