The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) announced three 24-hour walkouts, starting on Saturday February 20, which will affect services across Scotland following a ballot of 550 conductors and other staff came out five-to-one in favour of industrial action.
A further strike is planned for Monday, March 1, while the international rugby fixture at Murrayfield will be affected on the last strike day, Saturday March 13, in what ScotRail attacked as a “cynical” attempt to disrupt fans’ travel plans.
The company, which has spent weeks training a “strike breaker” force, pulling in senior managers and support staff from around Scotland and from First’s rail franchises south of the border, predicted it would be able to run at least 90% of trains as normal.
A spokesman said: “It is not only cynical but incomprehensible that the RMT has chosen to strike on one of Scotland’s biggest sporting days. However, we have no intention of spoiling anyone’s day and will keep Scotland’s railway running.”
Bob Crow, leader of the RMT, said: “I hope that rail users in Scotland will understand that we are making a stand for their safety as well as our members’, and join with us in demanding that the Scottish Government steps in to stop ScotRail putting cash before safety.”
Around 550 RMT members were balloted, including some 50 train drivers, and 379 voted in favour of a strike, with a turnout of 80%, the RMT said.
The union also called on the Scottish Government not to indemnify ScotRail, under a clause in its rail franchise revealed earlier by the Sunday Herald that allows ministers to use taxpayers’ money to pay the company for any financial loss caused by a strike.
The dispute centres on ScotRail plans for drivers to operate the doors on a new service due to begin in December this year between Airdrie and Bathgate.
The practice, known as “driver only operations” is widely used in the Strathclyde network but it would be the first time it has been introduced for trains using Edinburgh Waverley.
