EXCLUSIVE Southern faces an all-out strike on 28 December, because most staff are now being balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay for working the bank holiday. It was already known that the RMT was calling for a one-day strike, but Railnews can reveal that 850 ASLEF drivers have been voting as well.

The unions are calling for Southern to pay enhanced rates for working on 28 December, which is an additional bank holiday this year because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, but the company is offering only standard hourly rates.

The result of the ASLEF ballot will be known on 7 December, and the RMT vote will be revealed on 21 December, allowing both unions to stage a strike a week later if their members vote in favour.

Southern has said it does not believe that the unions have grounds for taking action, and that the company is complying fully with terms and conditions which had been agreed ‘in good faith’. It's accusing the unions of asking for three bank holidays instead of two.

Meanwhile, news is awaited in the long-running pay dispute at First Capital Connect, where an emergency Thameslink timetable was introduced on 12 November which has effectively halved the service. Drivers are declining to work rest days and overtime in protest at a pay offer which would have meant no rise in April 2009 and 3 per cent or RPI+1 per cent, whichever is the greater, plus a single payment of £200, in April 2010. FCC has now improved its offer, but no details have been revealed.