Southern rail strike action has been called off for thursday and friday.
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Southern said that Thursday’s services would still be running to the strike timetable but it would do its best to add services, while on Friday it plans to revert to the revised timetable operating before the strike.
Southern called for fresh talks as the second day of strike action caused more travel misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The RMT, one of Britain’s most militant unions, says train operator Southern wants to extend the use of driver-only operated trains and so reduce the safety role that conductors play.
Earlier this week, passengers travelling to Gatwick by train were advised to allow extra time for their journey as the trains were expected to be busier than usual due to the strike.
RMT members voted for strike action, saying their work-life balance was being repeatedly undermined.
The union said a deal was being discussed based on an offer made last week by ScotRail in a similar dispute which led to strikes being suspended.
For any updates go to www.southernrailway.com for further information.
British workers on Eurostar trains that run across the English Channel will strike for seven days in August, including a bank holiday weekend, in a dispute over work-life balance, said the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT).
He called on Eurostar to “come to the negotiating table”.
Eurostar said that it would make some “small changes” to the timetable as a result. Some of those passengers have planned to have their own say on the matter, with a protest outside the Department for Transport (DfT) in central London.
Southern passengers have been affected by three days of strike action starting on Monday 8.
“The ball is now in their court”, he said.
However, on Wednesday afternoon (August 10) after an offer from the RMT to suspend the action if Southern returned to talks without preconditions, conciliation service Acas, which has been mediating the talks, the ongoing five-day walkout stopped.
Manuel Cortes, TSSA’s general secretary, agreed that there is still time to resolve the long-standing issue “if common sense prevails on Friday”, when union representatives will meet with Eurostar management.
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” This strike has to stop and has to stop now”.
