The workers at South West Trains (SWT) walked out at midnight for a 24 hour strike over management scabbing during previous industrial action, when managers drove trains. The striking workers are mostly members of Aslef, with some RMT drivers also involved.

SWT, which operates across the South from London's Waterloo station, said only 10% of its services would run. Drivers on the Heathrow Express from Paddington in London to Heathrow Airport are also striking on Tuesday in a separate dispute.

The SWT action will be followed by two further strikes on the 8th and 11th of September unless the deadlock is broken, the union has said. SWT Managing director Stewart Palmer said: "The unions claim we have breached an agreement only to use managers to drive trains in exceptional circumstances. We believe that a strike is an exceptional circumstance”.

Rail services crippled by strike

BBC News: 29 August 2006

A strike by train drivers has crippled services on some of the busiest routes into London.

Two more strikes are planned for 8 and 11 September

South West Trains (SWT) warned passengers not to travel as services were not running on many routes and just 10% were operating on others.

Many people drove into work as others took the day off to avoid the chaos.

About 900 SWT staff, who are members of Aslef, walked out at midnight for 24 hours, in a row relating to a previous strike when managers drove trains.

SWT said one in four drivers scheduled to work on Tuesday had reported for duty and that many trains were being driven by drivers rather than managers.

On many routes into London's Waterloo station there were no trains while buses were laid on to replace trains in some parts of the South East.

The company said stations where trains were running were quieter than normal, suggesting people had listened to the advice not to travel unless necessary.

Drivers on the Heathrow Express from Paddington in London to Heathrow Airport were also on striking in a separate dispute. The company maintained that services would still run.

Aslef said further strikes planned for 8 and 11 September would go ahead unless the deadlock was broken.

The dispute started earlier this year when there was a disagreement involving Waterloo-based drivers over the use of taxis to and from work.

Managers were used to drive trains but Aslef said SWT contravened an agreement they would only drive trains in cases of health and safety or the possibility of civil unrest.

"I am only sorry that the public will suffer, rather than this appalling management" - Aslef general secretary Keith Norman

The union also raised concerns over safety, claiming that one manager had not driven a train for 10 years.

The company denied the unions claims and insisted that only fully-qualified managers had driven trains.

Managing director Stewart Palmer said: "The unions claim we have breached an agreement only to use managers to drive trains in exceptional circumstances.

"We believe that a strike is an exceptional circumstance and that the prospect of leaving thousands of you stranded at stations and the subsequent overcrowding could have led to very real safety concerns."

Aslef general secretary Keith Norman said: "I believe the company is using its passengers to try to score points over the union.

"I am only sorry that the public will suffer, rather than this appalling management."

SWT FACTS:

SWT operates services to places including Windsor, Reading, Guilford, Plymouth, Weymouth, Portsmouth and Brighton
Operates 1,700 services a day
Carries a total of 400,000 passengers a day
Takes 350,000 passengers into and out of Waterloo
More than 80,000 commuters travel to Waterloo in the morning rush hour