STRIKES on Scotland's rail services are now more likely then ever, it is claimed, after ministers published a bill at Holyrood to merge British Transport Police with Police Scotland.
Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), launched a fresh attack on plans to integrate the services, which critics claim will create inconsistencies for passengers who make cross-border journeys.
The union leader had already warned strikes were possible if ministers pressed ahead with the proposed shake-up, which has sparked concerns BTP officers could be taken from their duties to bolster Police Scotland, and affect public safety on the railways.
However, Cortes said the publication of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill, which will deliver the changes, will almost certainly "bring strikes" to Scotland's train network next year.
Cortes accused ministers of ignoring widespread opposition to the plan and of not listening to trade union objections in a consultation held on the changes.
He said the bill has been drafted – despite the strong opposition in the consultation responses from rail unions, the British Transport Police Federation and the TSSA, who all want an independent BTP.
Cortes, warning of a wave of rail industrial action, said: "There's no guarantee this bill will get through the Scottish Parliament, but if it does it will bring strikes to Scotland's railways next year.
"This will happen because the merger plans will make services less safe."
He added: "These consultations procedures are a vital cornerstone of the democratic process and, in this case the security of the Scottish nation. Yet, let's face it, the process has been turned into a sham!"
He continued: "Keeping Scotland's rail police independent from Police Scotland is in the best interests of Scotland's security. Cross-border rail security is simply not a devolution issue. It needs a different approach and different skills and different co-operation.
"British Transport Police ain't broken and doesn't need fixing. Breaking it up and forcing a merger on it with Police Scotland is motivated by political concerns by SNP politicians putting nationalist rhetoric before the first duty of government – to keep your people safe.
"This proposal, that we hear has already become a bill, will not make Scottish people or rail visitors safer, it will do the opposite which is why stakeholders have made their opposition known known in the consultation procedure."
However, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson claimed the views of unions had been taken into account when he announced the bill at the end of last week.
He said: “British Transport Police plays a valuable role in keeping Scotland’s railways safe and we will ensure railway policing has a strong future and is fully accountable to the people of Scotland.
“Safety will always be our top priority and rail passengers and staff will continue to receive the high standards of security on our rail network that they are used to, throughout the period of integration and beyond.
“We have listened closely to the issues raised by the rail industry, policing services and unions and we have offered a triple-lock guarantee that secures jobs, pay and pension conditions through the course of integration."
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