Firstly Southern is not actually a franchise (unlike the rest of the rail network). Secondly, the issue of industrial action is debatable. The truth is, Southern are essentially being subcontracted out by the government and as such are being told to implement new processes on their behalf. In many cases, Southern don't get much of a choice. But let's be clear about this, managing your industrial relations is part of the business they are in, and they are doing a proper shithouse job of it. If they are "crippled" by industrial action, then that is simply a sign that their industrial relations are feeble, especially given the unions for Southern employees are no more militant than anywhere else in the country. The shortage of staff and consequent cancellation of hundreds of trains are an absolute disgrace - if they are going to conduct a war on the unions, they should have thought about staff numbers BEFORE doing so, not wage their war and throw their hands up at "union intransigence" when it all, predictably, goes wrong. It is crass incompetence that they hadn't put measures in place to deal with this.
I despair at blue-rinse Tories like you, happy to give big business the benefit of the doubt at the expense of the people on the ground who are clearly NO DIFFERENT from other train staff elsewhere in the country. Southern and their parent firm are a total shambles and it is beyond inexcusable.
