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ASLEF Ballot Result
10th November 2017
On Wednesday 8th November, ASLEF drivers on Southern and Gatwick Express voted to end their 18 month dispute with GTR on Driver Controlled Operation. The turnout from the ballot was 87 per cent, with 79 per cent voting in favour. This is welcome news for the thousands of passengers who rely on Southern services and an important step in securing an efficient and reliable rail service on the Southern route.
Drivers have been safely operating the doors on GTR trains for years. The expansion of Driver Controlled Operation on Southern trains in January this year allowed new On-Board Supervisors to provide a more customer focussed role, instead of operating the doors. No drivers or conductors lost their job or any pay during the expansion of Driver Controlled Operation of the doors – in fact there are now more people working aboard Southern trains than before industrial action started. This dispute was not about safety, as the independent rail regulator had ruled that driver-controlled trains which have been used in this country for thirty years, are safe.