Almost all ScotRail services to be hit by strikes next week as pay talks fail

RMT union confirmed next week's strikes will go ahead after talks failed to resolve a row over pay, jobs and conditions.

Network Rail staff across the UK, such as signal operators, will strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - with ScotRail already having warned it will only be able to operate a limited service on five routes.

Those are all in the central belt, with the action leaving vast parts of Scotland without any train services at all.

Bosses at the Moor of Rannoch hotel and restaurant in highland Perthshire tweeted that they had suffered "mass cancellations" because of the RMT action.

With 70% of its customers travelling by train to the remote beauty spot, they said they had "lost almost all of our bookings" for the week.

Mr Thompson said there was a "lot of concern in the sector right now about the financial impact" the strikes will have.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that "despite the best efforts of our negotiators no viable settlements to the disputes have been created" in talks with Network Rail.

As a result Mr Lynch said: "We are confirming that the strike action scheduled to take place on 21, 23 and 25 June will go ahead."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first, so it is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is going ahead with industrial action.

"The Government committed £16 billion - to keep our railways running throughout the pandemic while ensuring not a single worker lost their job.

"The railway is still on life support, with passenger numbers 25% down and anything that drives away even more of them risks killing services and jobs.

"Train travel for millions more people is now a choice, not a necessity. Strikes stop our customers choosing rail, and they might never return.

"We urge the RMT to reconsider so we can find a solution that delivers for workers, passengers and taxpayers alike."

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Yet again the RMT union are dismissing talks before we've even finished, with more planned for Sunday."

"We're serious about trying to find a solution and work out a compromise that gives our people a decent pay rise, but it has to be affordable for taxpayers and farepayers."

"Union demands have so far been unobtainable, and the union seems completely focussed on 'take', with very little 'give'."

"It makes negotiating extremely challenging, but we will continue to try and find a way through to try and avert this needless and damaging strike."

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• rmt
• Strikes
• scotrail