Eastbourne business leaders protest against Southern strikes at station

Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce demonstrated outside Eastbourne Railway Station this morning (Monday, February 20) against the impact the Southern dispute is having on local businesses and commuters' lives.
Business leaders demonstrating outside Eastbourne Railway Station SUS-170220-084127001Business leaders demonstrating outside Eastbourne Railway Station SUS-170220-084127001
Business leaders demonstrating outside Eastbourne Railway Station SUS-170220-084127001

They chanted ‘What do we want? Trains! When do we want them? Now!’ and held placards calling on leaders on both sides to get around the table and end the travel chaos.

Christina Ewbank, CEO of Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, said, “We’re protesting because it seems to be right where we started almost a year ago, now the RMT have announced a strike on Wednesday.

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“We thought it was important to come and speak out to show Eastbourne has had enough.

“We’re not a hotbed of radical dissent, we don’t normally hold demonstrations and wave placards, but we’ve just had enough.

“We don’t blame anyone, we just want it sorted out and want it sorted now.

“We can’t face another six months of strikes. The service at Southern has been unacceptable ever since GTR took it over in 2015.”

Representatives of Eastbourne Hospitality also joined in.

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Dave Brachtvogel, Chairman of the Hospitality Association, said, “We feel strongly about it. This rail strike is impacting our businesses to the point we are having to lay staff off in some of the bigger hotels, and that’s not a very good scenario for Eastbourne, which depends on tourism as its lifeblood.”

Howard Simpson, also of Eastbourne Hospitality Association, added, “Its affecting everybody’s business. It’s making life very difficult for guests to reach Eastbourne.

“If it goes on much longer we will not get through the summer season.”

Meanwhile, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Tim Cobb, said, “This is not appropriate behaviour, they are behaving like a bunch of kids.

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“They have to sit down and talk about it, that’s what we do in the business world.

“We want the train company, the unions and the Government to resolve it as soon as possible.”

Placards said £308m has been robbed from the local economy due to the dispute, while others stated that more than 20,000 journeys had been cancelled.

The placards called out Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling MP, Rail Minister Paul Maynard MP, Mick Cash (General Secretary RMT), Mick Whelan (General Secretary ASLEF), Charles Horton (Chief Operating Officer GTR) and David Brown (Chief Executive, Go-Ahead) as ‘The Great Train Robbers’ collectively responsible for the issue.

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The RMT union has fought rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway’s plans to transfer their members from the role of conductors to on-board supervisors, where drivers would be responsible for opening and closing train doors.

It has announced a 24-hour strike on Wednesday (February 22).