ASLEF is to ballot its Govia Thameslink Railway members over strikes and action short of a strike, following what the union describes as a 'breakdown in industrial relations'. The news came as GTR and the RMT were locked in talks at ACAS in the long running dispute over extensions of driver-only operation on Southern.
Govia Thameslink Railway condemned ASLEF's action as 'cynical and desperate'.
ASLEF has already clashed with GTR this year over the issue of driver-only operation on 12-car Gatwick Express trains, but has been forced to retreat twice after GTR obtained High Court injunctions.
At the heart of this new dispute are the rosters which have been introduced in connection with Southern's reduced emergency timetable. This cut the number of trains by about a sixth from 11 July in a bid to make the timetable more predictable, as high levels of sickness among conductors continued.
ASLEF said its ballot would close on 31 August.
GTR passenger service director Angie Doll said: “Twice ASLEF has tried to block our plans to improve the railway and twice the courts have ruled their attempts unlawful. ASLEF members have been successfully operating this timetable for three weeks to deliver more reliable services for passengers and staff in the face of traincrew shortages.
"To call a strike ballot against this timetable now is a cynical and desperate attempt to heap even more misery on passengers, especially as we have met with ASLEF on two occasions and have a further meeting with them next week on this specific issue.
“Passengers should remember that ASLEF and the RMT signed a pact last year to fight any extension of driver-only operation tooth and nail. The news of this ballot comes at the very moment we are trying to find a resolution with the RMT at ACAS and is premature and opportunistic.”