Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Southern have staged the walkout – the longest since 1968 – after talks aimed at resolving a dispute over whose job it is to open and close doors on trains, collapsed.
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It follows a series of one-day strikes since April following a ballot of 393 RMT members.
Rail bosses say that the plans will improve train times and punctuality.
And what about the Government – are they doing anything to resolve the dispute?
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is the rail company that owns Southern.
”Our fight is with the company and the government, who have dragged this franchise into total meltdown”, he said.
“We share the anger and frustration of passengers and we can not sit back while jobs and safety are compromised on these dangerously overcrowded trains”.
The strike adds to the problems of tired passengers who have suffered months of cancellations and delays because of high levels of staff sickness, while in July Southern axed 341 trains, about 15 percent, to provide what it said would be a more regular service.
She described her journey to work on Monday as “horrendous” because there was double the usual number of passengers on her train.
GTR chief executive Charles Horton said the RMT action was “completely unacceptable, unjustified and unnecessary” and he apologised for the “inconvenience and disruption to passengers’ lives as a result”.
“The RMT is causing yet more misery for our passengers and we call on them to let this strike be the last”.
ScotRail said conductors would be retained on a new fleet of electric trains which are scheduled to start running from next year.
If it lasts for as long as planned, the strike will be the longest walkout on a British rail service for nearly 50 years.
Drivers have been closing train doors elsewhere on the railway for the last three decades so we know that it is a safe way of working.
In a statement, the Reigate, Redhill and District Rail Users’ Association said: “Members of the RMT have guaranteed jobs, a good salary and a reasonable work/life balance. This dispute is about changes that would mean a better on-board service for passengers and less disruption when problems hit the railway”.
Southern said it hoped to operate around two thirds of its services.
An emergency timetable is in place and Southern has said it will run 60% of services but the action has failed to pacify growing public discontent at stations.
“We are calling on all angry Southern passengers to have their voice heard by signing our giant letter and to join us in marching in protest against this miserable situation”.
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Union officials said that it was about money and that some trains will run without guards who will in any case be used to sell more tickets and issue more penalty fares.
