HS2

Aslef reinstates overtime ban after members reject second Southern deal

Aslef has his week announced that it plans to reinstate its overtime ban after its members rejected a deal with Southern for the second time.

Last month, a ban had been arranged to start on 4 June but union leaders postponed this to continue negotiations with the operator.

But the two parties have failed to come to an agreement, forcing Aslef to announce a new overtime ban to begin at midnight 29 June – much to the despair of Southern’s long-suffering customers.

“We have been talking to the company, over the last fortnight, in parallel, but separate, talks about drivers’ terms and conditions; industrial relations; and pay,” said Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef.

“The company’s failure to engage over DOO is the reason our members will no longer work overtime – which, of course, is entirely voluntary – from Thursday 29 June. By giving the company another fortnight, we had hoped to avoid industrial action because industrial action is always the last resort; we would much rather talk, and negotiate, around a table, than take industrial action.”

Whelan added that he could “categorically state” that the company spokesman was not telling the truth when he said that Aslef asked GTR to package up an extension of DCO with pay.

“That is a blatant lie and a deliberate and malicious attempt to mislead the passengers this company has been letting down, every day, since it got its franchise,” he said.

However, Southern stated that the deal it offered drivers would significantly increase wages and that it was disappointing that they had not agreed to end the dispute.

A spokesperson for the company said: “The Aslef leadership has twice accepted the extension of driver-controlled operation and asked us this time to package it up with a pay deal.

“We've made a very generous offer that in four years would take a driver’s base salary to £60,683 for the existing 35-hour, four-day week, so we find this threat of an overtime ban surprising and extremely disappointing.”

Fellow union the RMT have also called on Southern to stop treating their staff and the unions with “complete contempt” and instead sit round the table to settle the dispute.

“This is a highly significant development and it’s about time Southern stopped treating their staff and their unions with complete contempt. RMT’s driver overtime ban remains in place,” said RMT general secretary Mick Cash.

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