A Glasgow union leader has claimed rail strikes would not be happening if the public wasn't behind the action.
Around 40,000 RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) union members at Network Rail are taking UK-wide strike action on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week.
Although drivers are not involved it means on strike days ScotRail will run services on just 12 routes across the central belt, Fife, and the Borders between 07.30 and 18.30.
The RMT is involved in two negotiating battles over pay, jobs and working conditions - one with Network Rail, where it represents around 20,000 signallers and maintenance workers, and the other with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), where it represents about 20,000 workers at 14 train companies.
READ MORE: 'Ridiculous': Scots commuters hit out at rail chaos that could last until May
Train drivers in the Aslef union are striking at 15 rail companies on Thursday in a dispute over pay.
Network Rail boss Tim Shoveller said the company needs to make 1,850 redundancies to reduce costs and insisted this can be done safely.
Train operating companies want to give control of doors to the driver, which would mean they could run more services without guards or onboard crew, a measure that the drivers’ union Aslef and the RMT have opposed on safety and jobs grounds.
There was anger today from commuters about the continuing disruption to trains in Scotland as many workers returned after the festive break.
However Mick Hogg Regional Organiser for the RMT insisted workers were continuing to receive daily messages of support.
He said: "It's overwhelming and we get that every day from members of the public on strike days.
READ MORE: Scots unions group joins Nicola Sturgeon in call for strike end
"We wouldn't be striking if we didn't have the public support and we certainly believe that having the public on our support is crucial.
"One of the ironies is that everyone is in the same boat, everyone is affected by the cost-of-living crisis."
He said it was a "travesty" that rail workers were among those using food banks in one of the world's richest countries.
He said: "At some point, something needs to give. All disputes come to an end at some point.
"I did a deal in Scotland which brought the Scotrail dispute to an end.
"It's the UK government who have their hands written all over this dispute and the quicker they apply some common sense the better."
Network Rail said the deal put forward to the RMT was "fair and reasonable", and urged the union to "sit down with us" and revisit it.
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