Pay talks today as more Scotrail workers threaten to strike during Cop26
Engineers vote for 24 hour walk outs during the climate summit in Glasgow
Talks are being held later to attempt to solve a long-running dispute which has been cripping Scotrail services at weekends, as a second union threatens to stage walk outs which could bring trains to a stand during the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.
The row with the RMT union about pay for ticket examiners has been going on for six months, and discussions last week broke up with the union rejecting an offer linked to a reduction in ticket office opening hours.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “First we have cuts to the railway timetable, now we have cuts to railway ticket offices, all in the month that COP26 is due to start.
“Everyone knows that public transport is green transport so the recent management of our railways under the SNP and Green government is increasingly becoming a national embarrassment.
“To make matters worse ScotRail bosses are telling rail workers they can only avoid a real terms pay cut if ticket offices are cut. Well, we reject that and we stand with passengers to protect their services and we stand with rail workers to protect their pay.
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Engineers to stage 24 hour strikes
Now, engineers represented by Unite, say they will take part in strikes during the Cop26 summit when world leaders are in Glasgow for climate talks.
The planned 24-hour strikes will take place between October 18 and 19, November 1 and 2, November 10 and 11 and November 12 to 13.
A number of depots and stations will be impacted by the strike action, including Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley and Perth.
Unite's engineering members at Abellio ScotRail voted by 78% in support of strike action in a 68.4% ballot turnout.
Pat McIlvogue, Unite's industrial officer, said: "Unite has been left with no choice but to resolutely respond to the reckless behaviour displayed by Abellio ScotRail management.
"While discussions have continued these talks have produced absolutely nothing. There has been no pay offer and no movement by the company.
"The talks have been spun out and cynically used as a delaying tactic to avoid the national embarrassment of having strike action during the Cop26 climate change conference which is being held in Glasgow.
"Well, these tactics have spectacularly backfired because our engineering members will now hold several 24-hour stoppages in the coming weeks."
Scotrail's financial squeeze
Scotrail has seen passenger numbers and revenue drop by 50% during the pandemic, and the company has received £400m emergency support from government.
Bosses believe pay increases need to be self-funded by genuine efficiencies.
A ScotRail spokesperson told Northsound 1 News: “We’re seeing customers gradually return to Scotland’s Railway, but the scale of the financial situation ScotRail is facing is stark.
“We will continue to engage with the rail trade unions to find an agreement on pay and conditions.
“To build a more sustainable and greener railway for the future and reduce the burden on the taxpayer, we need to change. All of us in the railway - management, staff, trade unions, suppliers, and government - need to work together to modernise the railway so that it is fit for the future.”