Staff reporter(wp/es):
Southern rail has urged union bosses to call off a planned 24-hour strike.
The beleaguered rail operator called on the RMT union to suspend a walkout out by guards scheduled for Monday.
The strike is in protest over Southern’s changes to the role of conductors and could cause fresh misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
It comes as talks aimed at resolving a separate dispute with the Aslef union over driver-only trains were set to resume.
Drivers called off three days of strikes planned for this week on Wednesday in exchange for further talks chaired by the TUC.
Southern said that despite the strike action on Monday, it will run over 70 per cent of its trains – 10 per cent more than what it has operated on previous strike days.
It said this followed the completion of its programme to put drivers in sole control of the operation of the train, including closing the doors, on nearly 80 per cent of routes, and the transfer of many conductors to the new on-board supervisor role.
Angie Doll, Southern's passenger services director, said: "Whilst, inevitably, there will be disruption on Monday, the good news is that due to the changes we've now fully rolled out, we're now able to run more services on more routes serving more passengers and ultimately we'll have fewer cancellations and delays.
"On Monday, some 200 extra trains will be running and several routes will have their first service on an RMT strike day.
"The RMT should now recognise that their industrial action is wholly futile. They should stop the strikes, get back round the table with us and move forward together with us, delivering a better railway for our passengers."
The RMT has been in dispute with Southern for several months, warning of safety issues because of the changes and also complained of being "excluded" from talks between Southern and Aslef over the drivers' dispute.
The RMT has a small number of driver members at Southern who will strike on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Southern said it plans to operate a normal full timetable from Tuesday.
Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT, said: "Instead of repeating the same old threats and empty rhetoric, Southern should be engaging RMT in the same way that they have engaged with the TUC and the Government in the drivers' dispute.
"That is the way forward and the only way that we can deal with the safety issues that have led to the latest phase of strike action on Monday."
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