Get set for Southern Rail strikes next week, after union talks broke down
There's no easy way to say this: those Southern Rail strikes are more than likely going ahead next week after talks between bosses and the RMT union broke down.
Talks between Southern and RMT ended with no resolution this evening, meaning five days of strikes will go ahead next week.
That came after RMT offered to suspend the strike earlier today – but only if Southern made an offer matching that of ScotRail, which it had a similar (but separate) dispute with.
Next week's five-day strike will begin at midnight on Sunday and end at midnight on Friday.
Southern has been beset by problems thanks to its dispute with unions, which object to plans to introduce driver-only operated services.
Last month, it was forced to bring in an emergency timetable, cutting 341 services a day, or 15 per cent of its trains.
This evening Southern's passenger service director, Angie Doll, said it had gone "the extra mile" with its offer to create a new on-board supervisor role.
"[RMT] remain rigidly opposed to evolving the role of on- board staff to focus more on customers. We are deeply disappointed and angry on behalf of our passengers at this stance, which will cause misery for our passengers and untold damage to the local economy in the southeast. The RMT’s strike is unnecessary, unacceptable and unjustified."