WORKERS for South Western Railway will stage a series of strikes this May, with the action likely to affect passengers using services between Weymouth and Waterloo.

The RMT union has confirmed strike action today in a dispute over guards and safety.

The action is planned for Wednesday, May 9; Friday, May 11; Monday, May 14; Wednesday, May 16; Friday, May 18.

The announcement was made at a protest in Westminster to mark the second anniversary of the start of the dispute.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "We have long detected the dead hand of the government interfering to stop us reaching negotiated settlements in the current disputes and it's about time Chris Grayling stopped playing politics with passenger safety and started taking the issue seriously."

Arriva Rail North and Greater Anglia trains are also locked in disputes.

A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “We will do everything we can to minimise the effect of these RMT strikes on our customers. 

“Our priority remains to get on with the job of delivering a better railway, working with our industry partners to deliver new trains, more capacity and better performance.

“We have given repeated assurances that we plan to retain a second person on our trains, that there will be more jobs, not less and have guaranteed people’s terms and conditions. This strike is unnecessary and was supported by less than half of our guards.”