RMT to ballot striking South Western Railway members again

MEMBERS of the RMT on South Western Railway are to be balloted again over continuing their month-long strike. The industrial action was paused on election day, but SWR said it would not be possible to restore normal services for just 24 hours. RMT general secretary Mick Cash told his members: ‘Regrettably, the 2016 Trade Union Act has made it necessary to re-ballot you and your colleagues for industrial action. Therefore, the union’s National Executive Committee has taken the decision to re-ballot all our SWR commercial guard, guard and train driver members for industrial action in order to continue our fight to protect the safety critical role of the guard and to retain a guard on SWR services.’ The walkouts are set to continue until New Year’s Day and have been causing serious disruption, with reduced services on main line routes and no SWR trains running on some other lines.