RMT Suspends Strike on Poppy Day, November 3
As Southern says full West London line timetable is back from Monday
As its latest three day strike ended at midnight last night, the RMT Union agreed to suspend its planned strike on Monday November 3 at the request of the British Legion.
November 3 is London Poppy Day when uniformed personnel collect money at Tube and railway stations.
November 3 was to be the first day of the union's next series of three day walkouts, and it says action on the following days will go ahead.
Further strikes are planned for November 22 and 23 and December 6-8.
At the end of this week's strike, Southern has again thanked passengers for their patience and guided them to their website for advice on compensation and refunds.
The train company has also announced that the full timetable is being restored to a number of lines, including the West London line from Monday October 24.
The West London line runs through Hammersmith and Fulham stations Shepherd's Bush, Kensington Olympia, West Brompton and Imperial Wharf and some Southern trains, running from Milton Keynes Central to Clapham Junction serve this line alongside the more numerous Overground trains.
So far this year the service has been cancelled, then reinstated on a limited peak time basis. Now the full timetable is being restored, taking pressure off the often overcrowded Overground trains.
The walkouts are due to a continuing dispute between the uion and Southern's parent company Govia Thameslink over planned changes to the role of conductors on trains.
The company plans to make drivers responsible for closing doors – something that already happens on many services across the country.
The company has claimed that increasing numbers of staff are turning up for work during strikes but this has been denied by the union, which says the action is being solidly supported.
October 21, 2016
