SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) workers will stage a four-day strike two weeks from now following management’s “mockery” of talks, their union announced today.

RMT members at SWR will strike from Friday August 30 to Monday September 2.

The union said the company was avoiding honouring a commitment given earlier in the year to keep a guard on trains. That pledge ended an 18-month dispute.

In February, SWR pledged that all its services would “operate with a guard with safety-critical competencies.”

The specifics of what constitute “competencies” were to be agreed on by management and workers’ representatives.

However, the union alleges that the company has been rowing back on its pledge.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Our members have been left with no choice but to call a further four days of strike action on South Western Railway.

“They are angry and frustrated that SWR have kicked talks into the long grass and failed to bolt down an agreement that will guarantee the role of the guard on the train.

“Our members believe that they are being mugged off by the company in protracted talks and I think they are right.

“The company continues to refuse to give assurances on the future operational role of the guard, fuelling fears amongst our members of a stitch-up.

“That situation has been compounded by an insistence that future operational models will be governed by the protection of company profits and not the safety of the travelling public.”

SWR had not responded to requests for comment before the Star went to press.