Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Crawley, Henry Smith, has condemned proposed train driver industrial action by the ASLEF union on Southern Railway for the end of May and beginning of June.

Speaking from Three Bridges he said;

“This is effectively an anti-modernisation, pre-election political strike designed to cause commuter misery.

“The dispute isn’t about job losses or a pay cut, neither are proposed, instead it’s simply down to a reactionary union trying to delay updating our railway. Driver operated doors have safely existed for many decades on a majority of the UK network and in most industrialised countries. Guards are simply being re-deployed to better serve customers throughout train carriages.

“I hope Labour will join me in asking ASLEF to call off their planned disruption, although I won’t hold my breath as Labour-run Crawley Borough, including their now parliamentary candidate, refused to condemn train strike action in a vote at last October’s full Council meeting.”