Rail strike looks off as drivers urged to accept new pay deal

Threatened strike action by ScotRail staff looked to have been averted after a new pay offer.

The train drivers' union ASLEF has announced its call for industrial action has been withdrawn and has recommended that members accept the offer in a ballot.

Members have been asked to vote on the offer – with a decision expected shortly after the ballot closes on September 25.

An emergency timetable with a reduced number of services will continue in the meantime.

The publicly-owned firm has been stuck in a long-running dispute with unions since the summer of 2022 which led to overtime bans and full strikes across the network in Scotland.

Jim Baxter, an ASLEF executive committee member, said their negotiating team thought the latest offer from ScotRail was acceptable.

He said: "Our ballot for industrial action has now been withdrawn and a referendum of our members, on the offer, will now be held.

"The negotiating team and executive committee are recommending that members accept this offer."

ScotRail has been operating a reduced service since July, when a number of drivers stopped working extra Sunday shifts and overtime in the pay dispute,

About 600 services were cut under the provisional measures, leaving 1,660 trains operating between Mondays and Saturdays.

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