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| Southern rail dispute talks end with no deal | Southern rail dispute talks end with no deal |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Talks aimed at stopping industrial action on the Southern rail network have ended with no deal, the rail operator has said. | Talks aimed at stopping industrial action on the Southern rail network have ended with no deal, the rail operator has said. |
| Aslef has been in negotiation with the rail company at conciliation service Acas but talks ended on Thursday. | Aslef has been in negotiation with the rail company at conciliation service Acas but talks ended on Thursday. |
| Nick Brown, chief operating officer of Govia Thameslink (GTR) Southern's parent company, said Aslef had been unable to accept their proposals. | Nick Brown, chief operating officer of Govia Thameslink (GTR) Southern's parent company, said Aslef had been unable to accept their proposals. |
| Aslef said talks had continued but without progress. | |
| A spokeswoman for the union said Aslef was open to resuming talks next week although nothing had been set up yet. | |
| And Aslef later issued an official statement which said: "Talks between Aslef and GTR continued at Acas today but no progress was made. Aslef's door remains open for future talks." | |
| 'Unjustified action' | 'Unjustified action' |
| Mr Brown said: "We're deeply disappointed, as our passengers will be, that Aslef has been unable to accept our proposals and we cannot find a way forward to end this dispute with the drivers' union at this stage. | Mr Brown said: "We're deeply disappointed, as our passengers will be, that Aslef has been unable to accept our proposals and we cannot find a way forward to end this dispute with the drivers' union at this stage. |
| "We're sincerely sorry that commuters' work and family lives are being punished with this unjustified and unprecedented industrial action. | "We're sincerely sorry that commuters' work and family lives are being punished with this unjustified and unprecedented industrial action. |
| "The unions must stop the pain and suffering blighting passengers and commerce." | "The unions must stop the pain and suffering blighting passengers and commerce." |
| Both Aslef and the RMT union are in dispute with GTR over changes to guards' roles on driver-only operated (DOO) trains. | Both Aslef and the RMT union are in dispute with GTR over changes to guards' roles on driver-only operated (DOO) trains. |
| The RMT fears job cuts and has raised safety concerns, and Aslef has described DOO as "inherently unsafe". | The RMT fears job cuts and has raised safety concerns, and Aslef has described DOO as "inherently unsafe". |
| But Mr Brown said the company would continue with its plans to modernise the railway. | But Mr Brown said the company would continue with its plans to modernise the railway. |
| He said: "We urge the union to think again and work with us and move forward together. Our door remains open." | He said: "We urge the union to think again and work with us and move forward together. Our door remains open." |
| Drivers will go ahead with a 24-hour strike on Friday. | |
| A two-day strike by train drivers on Tuesday and Wednesday brought all Southern services to a halt and left services severely disrupted on Thursday. | |
| Industrial action is also due to continue next week with a 48-hour strike by conductors. |