Council leader calls for rail firm to end bitter dispute

The leader of Hastings Borough Council has demanded action from the management of train operator Southern to end the bitter dispute with its conductors.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jun 2016, 11:26 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 23:59 BST

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Hastings station SUS-160217-121206001Hastings station SUS-160217-121206001
Hastings station SUS-160217-121206001

The calls comes on a day when no trains are running between Eastbourne and Ashford due to yet another rail strike.

Cllr Peter Chowney said: “Today, local rail customers have suffered a third strike day, with no Southern trains running to or from Hastings at all. This has caused massive disruption to many, be it to young students who use the train to get to and from school, regular commuters, or those with important hospital appointments to attend, or flights to catch.

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“And the strike days are in addition to the enduring delays, longer journeys, and massive overcrowding caused by the many cancellations of Southern trains recently, apparently caused by conductor sickness.

“Many, many people, local residents and visitors, depend on Southern trains, and it is just unacceptable for their lives to continue to be disrupted in this way.

“This simply cannot continue indefinitely, and I therefore urge the management of Southern to do whatever is necessary to meet with the RMT, the conductors’ trades union, and resolve their differences.”

The industrial action today (Tuesday, June 21) is the latest in a line of strikes in the ongoing dispute between Govia Thameslink Railway and the union RMT over the future role of conductors.

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The strike means there will be no Southern services at all running out of Hastings, St Leonards Warrior Square, Ore, Bexhill, Collington, Cooden Beach, Normans Bay, Rye, Winchelsea, Doleham and Three Oaks stations.

For more information on the strike, click here.

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Related topics:Hastings Borough CouncilRMTEastbourneGovia Thameslink Railway