Brighton and Hove’s commuters face further misery with the news that Southern Railway staff are to hold a strike ballot.
The ballot, called by the RMT (the Rail, Maritime and Transport) union, closes on Monday 21 December.
The ballot announcement comes as ASLEF union members working for First Capital Connect – the operator of Thameslink trains – hold their own strike ballot.
An RMT strike – over bank holiday pay – could start on Monday 28 December.
According to the RMT, Southern has said that it does not consider Monday 28 December to be a bank holiday.
It said that the train company was not offering the usual extra bank holiday pay or time off in lieu for those working on that date.
Bob Crow, the RMT general secretary, said: “It is our clear view that our members on Southern should be properly rewarded for having to work on a public holiday in line with agreements in place across the rest of the rail network.
“Southern should be recognising the hard work and dedication of their staff over the year by offering a gesture of goodwill over the festive season.
“Instead, they are playing the role of Scrooge and demanding Christmas bank holiday working for flat rate pay.
“That is an insult to our members and that is why we are balloting for strike action.”
The ASLEF ballot result will be declared a week tomorrow – on Wednesday 9 December – and a strike over pay could start a week later.
