An overtime ban by drivers that was set to cause major disruption for Southern rail passengers from Sunday onwards has been suspended for two weeks.
The drivers’ union, Aslef, said the move would allow time for fresh negotiations to try to resolve the long-running dispute over driver-only operation of trains.
A previous overtime ban that ran from December into January left Southern struggling to run many services, with some branch lines entirely closed. The company relies on overtime to fill its rosters.
The union will also hold pay negotiations with Southern’s operating company, Govia Thameslink Railway, and discuss terms and conditions, in what it describes as “parallel but separate” talks.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, met Southern managers on Thursday. He said: “Industrial action is always the last resort; we would much rather talk, and negotiate, than take industrial action.
“The company has indicated that it is prepared to negotiate with us on a range of outstanding issues and, therefore, we have suspended our overtime ban. We now have a fortnight to try and find a resolution which will work for passengers, for staff, and for the company, too.”
Nick Brown, chief operating officer of GTR, welcomed the move and said: “We aim to continue to find a way forward over the next few weeks and finally bring matters to a conclusion.”
Drivers voted overwhelmingly to strike in December. Aslef has twice agreed a tentative deal with GTR, which has been rejected by drivers, many of whom retain concerns about safety of driver-only operated trains and have been angered by the company over the course of the dispute, which started in early 2016.
