Union members have blown the final whistle on “meaningless” talks with Southern Rail over staff responsibility and have called a strike.

A 24-hour walkout on Wednesday (May 18) will be staged by Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) in reaction to the company’s decision to transfer certain responsibilities from train conductors to drivers.

The industrial action, originally planned for Friday, was moved to the day of the Queen's Speech in a row over the role of conductors and driver-only trains. 

As well as customer safety during the journey, fears for passengers' welfare, for example boarding and alighting carriages, could be comprimised if the driver is solely left to shepherd passengers, the union claims. 

The union has stated that it is responding to the "threatening and abusive" stance the company has adopted through acts such as setting a deadline of May 20 for staff to sign up to company plans to change the role of conductors.

The RMT also accused the company of refusing to hold meaningful talks.

A company spokesman said: "This is clearly a cynical ploy by RMT leadership to maximise the disruption their action will have on passengers by moving the strike, with the bare minimum of notice the law requires, from a Friday, when fewer people traditionally travel, to midweek.

“This action is completely unnecessary.

“There's a job for everyone who wants one and no-one will have a cut in salary.

“The only difference is that conductors will no longer close a train's doors.

"We totally refute the RMT's groundless allegations.

“The refusal of the RMT union to negotiate has left us with no option but to press on with our plans to evolve the role of the conductor on many of our services."

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