NATIONALISED ScotRail workers are expected to stage strikes on every Friday and Saturday in December including Christmas Eve as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are considering plans for industrial action each weekend in the festive season – including on Christmas Eve – as part of a continuing pay row with ScotRail.
Stoppages are planned for November 19 and will coincide with the Scotland v Argentina rugby match at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
It follows two one-day strikes which brought almost the entire ScotRail network to a halt, including last Saturday. The strike left just three services running on Saturday.
They were 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.
A further revised offer was rejected by the union last week which ScotRail said would have meant the lowest paid staff would be paid an extra 7.5%.
ScotRail has previously said the action will go ahead without RMT rejected the latest offer "without giving staff a say".
It comes after deputy first minister John Swinney insisted there was no more cash to fund further pay offers after already making massive budget cuts totalling £1.2 billion to afford existing deals - with groups like health workers and teachers also still in salary disputes and threatening disruption.
RMT Scottish organiser Mick Hogg said:"There is a meeting with ScotRail and If there is no solution, there will be complete havoc on ScotRail between now and Christmas.
He added: “Notice will be served - as any action taken by RMT will be lawful and in line with current legislation
“Therefore the choice to prevent absolute havoc and carnage on Scotland's trains sits with Mr Swinney.
“John Swinney has a simple choice to make - he either instructs ScotRail to negotiate and find a resolution to the current pay dispute - or there will be complete carnage on Scotland's trains in the run up to Christmas."
Scottish Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Graham Simpson said: “The RMT have already brought misery to thousands of Scottish rail passengers over the last few months, now they seem hell-bent on ruining the nation’s Christmas with their selfish action.
“Not only would these strikes impact passengers trying to visit loved ones over the Christmas season, they would deal a hammer blow to small businesses in the middle of crucial festive trading.
“The RMT has been holding the country to ransom for too long. It’s appalling they are considering going ahead with these deeply damaging strikes.”
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.
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.
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.
Yesterday it emerged that RMT was escalating that strike action with walkouts planned for November 5, 7 and 9 in a move that will also decimate Scotland's rail services.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail head of customer operations, said: "We’ve had no formal confirmation yet from the RMT but if what is being reported is accurate, it is incredibly disappointing and will severely impact our customers, our staff, and the economy in the lead up to Christmas.
“ScotRail made a significantly improved offer to the RMT, which would deliver a 7.4 per cent basic pay increase for the lowest paid, provide job security for at least six years, and increase allowances and commission payments. It’s time for the RMT bosses to give members a say and put it to a referendum.
“Once we have formal notification of any further action, we will assess the full impact of this strike action and will begin working on contingency arrangements. We will update customers as soon as this is complete."
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