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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Southern drivers' strike to go ahead after court ruling | Southern drivers' strike to go ahead after court ruling |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A series of strikes by train drivers on the Southern rail network will go ahead next week after a judge backed planned action by the Aslef union. | A series of strikes by train drivers on the Southern rail network will go ahead next week after a judge backed planned action by the Aslef union. |
| The High Court rejected an argument from Southern's parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), that the action would breach customers' rights. | The High Court rejected an argument from Southern's parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), that the action would breach customers' rights. |
| The decision paved the way for the first of three strike days to be held on Tuesday. | The decision paved the way for the first of three strike days to be held on Tuesday. |
| Southern warned the strike would lead to no services on most routes. | Southern warned the strike would lead to no services on most routes. |
| The RMT union, which has been staging strikes since the summer over the role of conductors, is also planning further stoppages either side of Christmas. | |
| Aslef, which described the court ruling as a victory, said GTR's action was a waste of "shareholders' money, passengers' money and taxpayers' money". | Aslef, which described the court ruling as a victory, said GTR's action was a waste of "shareholders' money, passengers' money and taxpayers' money". |
| General secretary Mick Whelan said: "Now the company should do the right thing and sit down with us and negotiate - properly, sensibly and in good faith - to do a deal for the benefit of passengers, staff and, yes, the company, just like ScotRail did with us earlier this year." | General secretary Mick Whelan said: "Now the company should do the right thing and sit down with us and negotiate - properly, sensibly and in good faith - to do a deal for the benefit of passengers, staff and, yes, the company, just like ScotRail did with us earlier this year." |
| A spokesman for GTR said: "Naturally we're disappointed with today's decision. The judge said that such unprecedented strike action by Aslef would cause massive disruption to the public. | A spokesman for GTR said: "Naturally we're disappointed with today's decision. The judge said that such unprecedented strike action by Aslef would cause massive disruption to the public. |
| "We brought this action for the benefit of our passengers. | "We brought this action for the benefit of our passengers. |
| "The judge has given us permission to go to the Court of Appeal which we will now consider with our legal team." | "The judge has given us permission to go to the Court of Appeal which we will now consider with our legal team." |
| Southern refund: What you need to know | |
| Southern commuters' tales of 'hell' | |
| Your questions answered | |
| Southern had argued the consequences of the strike were a breach of its customers' rights to travel under EU law. | Southern had argued the consequences of the strike were a breach of its customers' rights to travel under EU law. |
| But the judge, Sir Michael Burton, said that while the strikes would cause massive disruption to the public - with trains carrying up to 500,000 passengers a day being cancelled - they had been sanctioned by a lawful ballot and did not unlawfully restrict freedom of movement provisions. | But the judge, Sir Michael Burton, said that while the strikes would cause massive disruption to the public - with trains carrying up to 500,000 passengers a day being cancelled - they had been sanctioned by a lawful ballot and did not unlawfully restrict freedom of movement provisions. |
| He added that GTR had made a "novel and persuasive attempt" to get round Parliamentary immunity given to unions, but "it must fail". | He added that GTR had made a "novel and persuasive attempt" to get round Parliamentary immunity given to unions, but "it must fail". |
| Nick Herbert, MP for Arundel and South Downs, said the government should now look at other "remedies" to counter "unjustifiable" strike action. | |
| "If that requires a change in the law, I believe members of parliament will be very willing to consider it." | |
| Southern planned rail strike dates: | Southern planned rail strike dates: |
| 00:01 Tuesday 6 December to 23:59 Thursday 8 December (RMT) | 00:01 Tuesday 6 December to 23:59 Thursday 8 December (RMT) |
| 00:01: Tuesday 13 December to 23:59 Wednesday 14 December (Aslef) | 00:01: Tuesday 13 December to 23:59 Wednesday 14 December (Aslef) |
| 00:01 Friday 16 December to 23:59: Friday 16 December (Aslef) | 00:01 Friday 16 December to 23:59: Friday 16 December (Aslef) |
| 00:01 Monday 19 December to 23:59 Tuesday 20 December (RMT) | 00:01 Monday 19 December to 23:59 Tuesday 20 December (RMT) |
| 00:01 Saturday 31 December to 23:59 Monday 2 January (RMT) | 00:01 Saturday 31 December to 23:59 Monday 2 January (RMT) |
| 00:01 Monday 9 January to 23:59: Saturday 14 January (Aslef) | 00:01 Monday 9 January to 23:59: Saturday 14 January (Aslef) |