TSSA members vote for action short of strike at Govia Thameslink Railway

Over 67% of members who voted in the ballot were in support of strike action and we achieved the necessary voter turnout of over 50%. But members will share the disappointment that the votes in favour of a strike fell short of the 40% turnout threshold required by the anti-trade union laws by a small number of votes, with 37% of eligible voters returning a valid ballot paper in favour of strike action.

Unfortunately, this means that we cannot legally call out Govia Thameslink Railway staff to take strike action. This result will serve as an example that the anti-union laws unfairly restrict our democracy and need urgent reform.

However, the overwhelming support for action short of a strike, with over 86% voting in favour, will send a strong message to the company that we need to make progress on our demands over pay, job security and terms and conditions.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in this important ballot. TSSA organisers are liaising closely with your TSSA reps about the next steps.

We have not served notice for industrial action yet, but rest assured we will keep you updated on all developments.

Please speak to your TSSA reps for more information, and thank you again for taking part in this important ballot.

The full results of the ballots are outlined below.

Question: ARE YOU PREPARED TO TAKE PART IN INDUSTRIAL ACTION CONSISTING OF A STRIKE?

Number of individuals who were entitled to vote in the ballot:  417

Number of votes cast in the ballot: 236

Votes cast in the ballot as a % of individuals who were entitled to vote: 56.59%

Number of spoilt or otherwise invalid voting papers returned: 2

Result of Voting

Yes  157 (67.09%)

No    77 (32.91%)

Question: ARE YO PREPARED TO TAKE PART IN INDUSTRIAL ACTION SHORT OF A STRIKE?

Number of individuals who were entitled to vote in the ballot: 417

Number of votes cast in the ballot: 236

Votes cast in the ballot as a % of individuals who were entitled to vote: 56.59%

Number of spoilt or otherwise invalid voting papers returned: 1

Result of Voting

Yes  204 (86.81%)

No   31 (13.19%)

Your organiser will be in touch in due course, in the meantime, we would strongly urge you to inform your colleagues it's time to join TSSA.