NATIONALISED ScotRail faces a weekend of disruption after railway workers rejected the latest ScotRail pay offer.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union working for the state-owned rail operator will stage a 24-hour walkout on Saturday as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.
It means there will be a very limited service for rugby fans heading to Scotland’s first autumn international match against Australia with fans advised to consider alternative arrangements.
ScotRail said the latest offer would have seen the lowest paid staff receive a basic pay increase of almost 7.5%.
ScotRail say the action will go ahead without RMT rejected the latest offer "without giving staff a say".
RMT Scottish organiser Mick Hogg said the rail operator “refuses to offer a cost-of-living pay increase”, adding that the latest increase “falls well short of where we need to be as inflation RPI is sitting at 12.2%”.
The strike will leave just three services running on Saturday.
They are Milngavie to Edinburgh at two trains per hour; Glasgow to Lanark at one train per hour and Glasgow to Larkhall at one train per hour.
Some 2,000 ScotRail staff are involved in the dispute and include conductors, ticket examiners, hospitality, station staff, engineering depot staff, train presentation, supervisors, resource co-ordinators, and CCTV operators.
Workers involved include ScotRail train conductors and ticket examiners, station staff and cleaners.
A previous undisclosed deal offered earlier this month – weeks on from a separate 5% increase which was also rejected.
ScotRail says the improved offer was conditional on the suspension of this weekend’s strike action and the offer being put to the union’s members.
"Given the RMT’s refusal to do either of those things, the improved element of the offer has been withdrawn," the state rail operator said.
The train operator said: "ScotRail is reminding customers that its services across Scotland will face widespread disruption when the train operator’s members of the RMT trade union take part in a day of strike action this weekend."
The 24 hour stoppage is the second day of strike action as part of the trade union’s dispute over pay with the train operator. It follows industrial action October 10.
ScotRail said it was only able to provide a very limited service due to the number of contingency staff required to cover the shifts of those on strike.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail head of customer operations, said: “It’s really disappointing that the RMT has refused to put this improved offer to its members so they can have a say.
“Further strike action has a damaging effect on railway’s recovery at a time when we should be encouraging more people to travel. Instead, our customers are being severely impacted and our staff losing out through lost wages.
“Regrettably, we won’t be able to operate the vast majority of our services on Saturday, 29 October, and customers should expect significant disruption to services due to the large proportion of ScotRail staff who are members of the RMT trade union.
“We’re advising customers, including rugby fans intending to travel to Scotland’s first autumn international at Murrayfield, to seek alternative means of transport and to only travel by train if they really need to.
“We remain open to resolving this dispute.”
Mr Hogg added: “RMT members will be taking no lectures from ScotRail – as the bosses continue to give themselves colossal pay increases.
“RMT are seeking a fair deal for our members that reflects the cost-of-living crisis.”
Members of the train drivers union Aslef has previously voted to accept an improved offer from nationalised ScotRail which amounted to up to 10% extra in pay packets in a year.
A 5% pay deal came with a performance bonus scheme which would take the wage rise to nearer 10%.
That dispute saw an emergency timetable in place for nearly two months which saw services across the country slashed.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We absolutely respect the democratic right of union members to take industrial action and the continued constructive discussions between ScotRail and the Scottish representatives of the RMT members. This collaborative approach is distinct from that taken elsewhere in the UK, particularly on the issue of minimum service levels.
“That is why it is really disappointing that Scottish members are being denied the opportunity to vote on a new deal, one which would benefit lower paid ScotRail workers in particular.
“We once again call on the RMT National Executive to suspend the ScotRail strike action in favour of a members’ referendum on the revised pay deal. That is the best hope of getting this fair and affordable offer into people’s pay in time for Christmas.”
The strike is separate from a dispute by Network Rail staff who maintain the infrastructure, such as tracks and signalling that has also hit ScotRail services.
They are unhappy about the future of jobs, as well as pay and conditions.
That strike hits cross-border services and the running of operations across the country including Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper services.
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