A UNION has accused Southern Rail of peddling lies after bosses said drivers had turned down a £75,000-a-year pay deal.

A Govia Thameslink (GTR) spokesman told the Evening Standard that peace talks had ended without agreement and that Aslef, the drivers’ union, has ordered a resumption of the overtime ban from Thursday next week.

He added: “We take that to mean rejection of our [pay] offer.”

The indefinite overtime ban will result in hundreds of trains a day being cancelled or delayed, resulting in huge disruption for Southern’s 300,000-plus passengers.

It is understood the deal offered to the 1,000 drivers is a pay increase of 23.8 per cent over four years.

This would take basic salaries for the existing 35-hour, four-day week from £49,001 to £60,683.

Most Southern drivers work a weekly fifth day as overtime for which they receive an additional 25 per cent pay. This takes the fourth-year salaries to more than £75,000.

Aslef said it had not made a formal decision over pay but a train driver told the Evening Standard: “We are happy with the money but not on the basis we sold out on safety.”

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, has accused GTR, which runs Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express, of peddling lies by issuing misleading press statements.

He called for the the franchise to be stripped, adding: “It is indefensible that GTR/Southern and the inept Department for Transport continue to peddle misinformation and attack those whose goodwill they rely on to run their services.

“The company has – with no censure from the DfT – kept driver complements artificially low.

“The company relies on drivers working voluntary overtime to run at least 25 per cent of its services; while we, as a union, strive for full employment to help deliver a first class public service.

“There would be no requirement for voluntary overtime if Southern recruited staff properly – if the company recruited the right number of drivers to run the services it has promised passengers to deliver.

“I’m quite sure that if we sought a guarantee of these payments it would not be forthcoming.

“We are disgusted and will be asking for GTR/Southern to be stripped of the franchise as all stakeholders, employees, the travelling public, and taxpayers we talk to have lost all faith in Southern Fail to deliver.

“If any driver is verbally abused, threatened or attacked after the company has deliberately and maliciously sought to inflame the situation by peddling lies then we reserve the right to do whatever is necessary to protect our members – on Southern Rail and nationally.”

The union has already staged 32 strikes, each of 24 hours, among its guard and on-board supervisor (OBS) members.

It is also thought that the RMT, which represents train guards, is also preparing for more industrial action.

The RMT yesterday criticised overcrowding on the line.

Mick Cash, general secretary, said: “This scandal should be called to a halt immediately.”