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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2016/aug/08/southern-rail-strike-begins-live-updates
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| Version 15 | Version 16 |
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| Southern rail strike begins – As it happened | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 7.44pm BST | |
| 19:44 | |
| There’s still no shortage of passion on social media where many, including commuters who have managed to make it home this evening, are continuing to vent their feelings | |
| Calling a 5 day strike to the misery of 1000s of ppl over who's job it is to open and close a door. Ridiculous and childish #southernstrike | |
| Solidarity with the Southern rail workers on strike this week. Fighting to keep the railways safe @RMTunion #southernstrike | |
| #southernstrike = emptier more comfortable trains that actually run on time. This is great! Best it's been for years! #irony | |
| I worked for Southern many years ago. It was just as shit then as it is now. Don’t blame the workers, blame the bosses! #Southernstrike | |
| .@SouthernRailUK trying 2 say #southernstrike letting down customers... This is Southern on a non-strike normal day: pic.twitter.com/KuvOu7nmgK | |
| Peak Southern. @Southern_Trains @CroydonGuardian #southernstrike pic.twitter.com/dYA8Pzl9RK | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.45pm BST | |
| 7.04pm BST | 7.04pm BST |
| 19:04 | 19:04 |
| Representatives of the RMT and Southern have clashed on BBC London News. Angie Doll, a Southern spokesperson accused the union of being inflexible and said that an offer which the company made to the union last week was still on the table. | Representatives of the RMT and Southern have clashed on BBC London News. Angie Doll, a Southern spokesperson accused the union of being inflexible and said that an offer which the company made to the union last week was still on the table. |
| “Five days of industrial action is totally disproportionate for the modest changes that we want to make here. It’s making life unbearable for our passengers and the local economy and the RMT has the ability to call the strike off at any stage.” | “Five days of industrial action is totally disproportionate for the modest changes that we want to make here. It’s making life unbearable for our passengers and the local economy and the RMT has the ability to call the strike off at any stage.” |
| Asked if Southern was being advised by the government, Doll said no and that any “conversations” were around the company’s own executive board. Referring to the plans for drivers, rather than conductors, to operate carriage doors, she said that this was a safe plan which would “free up” staff to provide a better service. | Asked if Southern was being advised by the government, Doll said no and that any “conversations” were around the company’s own executive board. Referring to the plans for drivers, rather than conductors, to operate carriage doors, she said that this was a safe plan which would “free up” staff to provide a better service. |
| Paul Cox from the RMT insisted that the strike was about safety, saying: “it’s about stopping the degrading of safety on the railways. Enough is enough. No more driver led operations.” | Paul Cox from the RMT insisted that the strike was about safety, saying: “it’s about stopping the degrading of safety on the railways. Enough is enough. No more driver led operations.” |
| He said that the months of disruption preceding the strike were because a “basket case” company was unable to run a functioning train service. | He said that the months of disruption preceding the strike were because a “basket case” company was unable to run a functioning train service. |
| “That is not related to the dispute. All the evidence that is required is there. They [Southern] should have that service taken from them and the mayor should get it or go to a directly operated rail service.” | “That is not related to the dispute. All the evidence that is required is there. They [Southern] should have that service taken from them and the mayor should get it or go to a directly operated rail service.” |
| 6.44pm BST | 6.44pm BST |
| 18:44 | 18:44 |
| Evening commuters have been sharing their experiences, which include some images like this: | Evening commuters have been sharing their experiences, which include some images like this: |
| Haywards Heath absolutely dead right in the middle of rush hour #southernstrike pic.twitter.com/v0a9AcER44 | Haywards Heath absolutely dead right in the middle of rush hour #southernstrike pic.twitter.com/v0a9AcER44 |
| My #southernstrike train home is on time for the first time in 12 months! Sadly there's hardly anyone here to witness this momentous event | My #southernstrike train home is on time for the first time in 12 months! Sadly there's hardly anyone here to witness this momentous event |
| Pathetically grateful that there is a train home at London Bridge that hasn't been cancelled #southernrail #strike #southernstrike | Pathetically grateful that there is a train home at London Bridge that hasn't been cancelled #southernrail #strike #southernstrike |
| 6.27pm BST | 6.27pm BST |
| 18:27 | 18:27 |
| Southern has said that said its strike timetable was still running well as the evening peak approached, with no issues at stations and 88.5% of services on time. | Southern has said that said its strike timetable was still running well as the evening peak approached, with no issues at stations and 88.5% of services on time. |
| But it added that the figure was a manual one compiled by Southern as the company was unable to rely on industry data which was showing inaccurate public performance data due to a systems error. | But it added that the figure was a manual one compiled by Southern as the company was unable to rely on industry data which was showing inaccurate public performance data due to a systems error. |
| 5.07pm BST | 5.07pm BST |
| 17:07 | 17:07 |
| Hundreds of Southern Railway trains have been cancelled at the start of a five-day strike by members of the RMT. The union said the strike was “rock solid”. | Hundreds of Southern Railway trains have been cancelled at the start of a five-day strike by members of the RMT. The union said the strike was “rock solid”. |
| Southern’s owner, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said that 60% of its normal service was running and nine out of 10 trains on an emergency timetable ran on time. But passengers complained of packed trains. GTR apologised to commuters to passengers, describing the strike as “completely unjustified”. | Southern’s owner, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said that 60% of its normal service was running and nine out of 10 trains on an emergency timetable ran on time. But passengers complained of packed trains. GTR apologised to commuters to passengers, describing the strike as “completely unjustified”. |
| The prime minister’s official spokeswoman said Theresa May “strongly condemns” the strike, but Labour claimed it was becoming increasingly clear that the government was a barrier to resolving the dispute. | The prime minister’s official spokeswoman said Theresa May “strongly condemns” the strike, but Labour claimed it was becoming increasingly clear that the government was a barrier to resolving the dispute. |
| 5.04pm BST | 5.04pm BST |
| 17:04 | 17:04 |
| Oh dear, this is a government press officer tweeting: | Oh dear, this is a government press officer tweeting: |
| Some pushing and shoving at London Bridge. Infamous platform 10: narrow. Seat again. SFSG #southernstrike | Some pushing and shoving at London Bridge. Infamous platform 10: narrow. Seat again. SFSG #southernstrike |
| 5.00pm BST | 5.00pm BST |
| 17:00 | 17:00 |
| Stagecoach is running extra services because of the Southern Rail strike. | Stagecoach is running extra services because of the Southern Rail strike. |
| #Eastbourne There will be additional #Wave99 departures towards #Hastings at 16:50, 17:10 and 17:35 due to the #southernstrike. | #Eastbourne There will be additional #Wave99 departures towards #Hastings at 16:50, 17:10 and 17:35 due to the #southernstrike. |
| 4.30pm BST | 4.30pm BST |
| 16:30 | 16:30 |
| Channel 5 tried to conduct an interview with Southern Rail’s passenger services director Alex Foulds in Brighton but kept getting interrupted by angry commuters. | Channel 5 tried to conduct an interview with Southern Rail’s passenger services director Alex Foulds in Brighton but kept getting interrupted by angry commuters. |
| Video - Angry commuters in #Brighton interrupt our interview with @SouthernRailUK over #southernstrikehttps://t.co/3pxMD6D5Na | Video - Angry commuters in #Brighton interrupt our interview with @SouthernRailUK over #southernstrikehttps://t.co/3pxMD6D5Na |
| 4.09pm BST | 4.09pm BST |
| 16:09 | 16:09 |
| Some Southern commuters have said the weeks of disruption and delays on the network have put their jobs at risk - see, for example, Sam Gyimah MP’s letter to Govia Thameslink CEO Charles Horton last month. But is it really legal to sack someone for the misfortune of living on a failing rail line? | Some Southern commuters have said the weeks of disruption and delays on the network have put their jobs at risk - see, for example, Sam Gyimah MP’s letter to Govia Thameslink CEO Charles Horton last month. But is it really legal to sack someone for the misfortune of living on a failing rail line? |
| Yes, says employment lawyer Aye Limbin-Glassey, a partner at Shakespeare Martineau. “If an employee is regularly late to work, due to known disruptions, as has been the case for Southern Rail commuters affected by consistently poor services over the past few months, failing to find alternative travel arrangements could lead employers to take action arising from persistent lateness.” | Yes, says employment lawyer Aye Limbin-Glassey, a partner at Shakespeare Martineau. “If an employee is regularly late to work, due to known disruptions, as has been the case for Southern Rail commuters affected by consistently poor services over the past few months, failing to find alternative travel arrangements could lead employers to take action arising from persistent lateness.” |
| During the strike, bosses are within their rights to discipline employees who persistently arrive late, but they do so at their peril, Limbin-Glassey says. “They should avoid jumping to conclusions as this could lead to counter-claims.” Instead, they should make it clear what employees are expected to do and offer alternatives such as working from home or shift working, to reduce the impact on their businesses. It’s also important that each employee knows who they should report to if they do experience disruption, she adds. | During the strike, bosses are within their rights to discipline employees who persistently arrive late, but they do so at their peril, Limbin-Glassey says. “They should avoid jumping to conclusions as this could lead to counter-claims.” Instead, they should make it clear what employees are expected to do and offer alternatives such as working from home or shift working, to reduce the impact on their businesses. It’s also important that each employee knows who they should report to if they do experience disruption, she adds. |
| There’s not much employers who are left out of pocket by industrial action can do to recoup the costs, says Limbin-Glassey: instead, their focus should be on making arrangements so that there’s as little disruption to the business as possible. | There’s not much employers who are left out of pocket by industrial action can do to recoup the costs, says Limbin-Glassey: instead, their focus should be on making arrangements so that there’s as little disruption to the business as possible. |
| 4.01pm BST | 4.01pm BST |
| 16:01 | 16:01 |
| The TUC leader has tweeted her support for the industrial action: | The TUC leader has tweeted her support for the industrial action: |
| #Southern is an utter mess. Time for @SouthernRailUK to sit down with unions and come to a resolution on this, as happened in Scotland. | #Southern is an utter mess. Time for @SouthernRailUK to sit down with unions and come to a resolution on this, as happened in Scotland. |
| 3.52pm BST | 3.52pm BST |
| 15:52 | 15:52 |
| Southern’s operator and the RMT union are at loggerheads, but where is the Department for Transport in today’s headlines? Saturday’s Brighton Argus ran an eye-catching blank page highlighting its absence, saying it had “cleared the page” for transport secretary Chris Grayling to explain what actions he would be taking to resolve the mess - but answer came there none. | Southern’s operator and the RMT union are at loggerheads, but where is the Department for Transport in today’s headlines? Saturday’s Brighton Argus ran an eye-catching blank page highlighting its absence, saying it had “cleared the page” for transport secretary Chris Grayling to explain what actions he would be taking to resolve the mess - but answer came there none. |
| The Argus’s editor Mike Gilson has written an excoriating op-ed shedding light on - and throwing some serious shade at - the Department for Transport’s failure to fix things. | The Argus’s editor Mike Gilson has written an excoriating op-ed shedding light on - and throwing some serious shade at - the Department for Transport’s failure to fix things. |
| The full piece is here | The full piece is here |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.11pm BST | at 4.11pm BST |