Q&A: what does the Southern rail deal over strikes mean?
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Version 0 of 1. Does the deal between Govia Thameslink Railway and Aslef mean the Southern dispute is over? Yes – but only between the company and the drivers’ union, assuming that its members back the deal. The RMT – which represents the onboard supervisors, as conductors are now known – is still in dispute, and has called the majority of walkouts since last April. It has been invited to talks. But there should be no more strikes capable of bringing all trains to a halt. What was the row about? Both unions agreed to oppose any more driver-only operated (DOO) trains, which threaten jobs for conductors and which drivers believe makes passengers, and themselves, less safe. Particularly, they resented the way GTR had gone about imposing it without agreement, inflaming the dispute. What has changed in the talks? Precious little, it appears. Full details of the deal are not yet being made public until drivers are informed. But Southern appear to regard it as a full concession on the principle of driver-only operation and their modernisation programme. They also will be able to run trains, as far as Aslef is concerned, without a second crew member, in exceptional circumstances – something that the RMT has regarded as the thin end of the wedge. So was it all worthwhile? Aslef has long insisted that the dispute was all about safety, and they say that the deal does not involve any money or better conditions for drivers. Their objections to DOO have long been in the detail – they accept it can work, where agreed, and with suitable safety measures being implemented. That means that the detail could reassure drivers on specific points, on this route – and if so, should reassure passengers too. But the union stresses that this is an agreement for Southern only, not a template for elsewhere – important, given that further similar disputes could erupt on Northern, Merseyrail and potentially SouthWest trains in coming years. Aslef has also flexed its muscles and showed that it can stop a train service entirely. Drivers resented the imposition of a new regime and now have laid down a marker about negotiation. Does this mean all will be rosy on Southern trains now? Far from it. As commuters know, problems with delays and unreliable trains predate any industrial action. Even with no strikes, Southern’s public performance measures remain abysmal by most standards, with only 70% of trains running to within five minutes of their advertised time on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Department for Transport still has to adjudicate on whether GTR is in breach of contract – and if it is, what to do about it. |