A Heart-Wrenching Effect Of The Southern Rail Strikes
5 January 2017, 08:10 | Updated: 5 January 2017, 08:20
This commuter has revealed one of the toughest aspects of the Southern Rail strikes - he no longer gets to kiss his children goodnight.
- This Conductor Will Change Your Mind About The Southern Rail Strikes
Vinnie Potter, a Southern commuter from Merstham in Surrey, has been so badly affected by the strikes that he cannot get home for his children's bedtime, meaning he has to read them bedtime stories via Skype.
Next week sees a further three days of strikes by the train drivers, staggered from Tuesday to Friday to ensure disruption spreads over most of the working week.
It's all in a row over who opens the doors, with Southern's owners Govia Thameslink wanting the drivers do to the job instead of the guards.
And Mr Potter said it's had a major effect on his life. He said: "It's been awful really.
"The couple of strikes before Christmas, i had to spend a few weeks away from home, not seeing my children or my wife.
"I had to read to them by Skype. I couldn't give them a cuddle or a kiss at bedtime. I missed my son's Christmas nativity play.
"That's just my personal life, my work life has been hugely stressful as well. There's a huge burden on my to try to get into work and if I can't, that's very stressful.
"But I'm just one person. There are 350,000 who are affected by these Southern Rail strikes."
Categories: Southern Rail Strikes
