Rail passengers are set to be hit by more strike action later this month.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) at ScotRail will walk out on October 29.
And members who work for Network Rail will strike on November 3 and 5. So too will staff at 14 train operators – including TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast – who will hold an additional day of action on November 7.
The ScotRail dispute comes after the RMT rejected a five per cent pay offer. They have already begun an indefinite overtime ban, with ScotRail bosses warning passengers to check their trains are running before they leave.
RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Our industrial action campaign on ScotRail will continue until we find a just settlement. We are open to meaningful talks with ScotRail at any time.”
ScotRail’s head of customer operations, Phil Campbell, said: “We are assessing the impact on services and working on contingency arrangements. We are really disappointed with additional action, which will again impact customers, following strike action earlier in the week.
“The ban on overtime does nothing for the railway’s recovery during this challenging time. In addition to the impact on those travelling, it will further cost our staff with lost income.”
A separate dispute over pay and conditions involving RMT’s Network Rail staff will also impact ScotRail. Although not one of the train operators involved, they will be hit as Network Rail is responsible for infrastructure.
On previous days both ScotRail and TransPennine Express ran no services in Dumfries and Galloway with Avanti West Coast offering a significantly reduced timetable.
Mr Lynch said: “Throughout this dispute, the Rail Delivery Group has been completely unreasonable by not offering our members any deal on pay, conditions and job security.
“Some of our members on the train operating companies are some of the lowest paid on the railways.
“This stands in stark contrast to rail operating company bosses making millions of pounds in profit.
A Rail Delivery Group spokesman said: “We are frustrated that the RMT leadership has decided to take further strike action. Given their recent call for ‘intense negotiations’ we had hoped they would give our staff and customers a much-needed break from the disruption and lost pay of the last five months.
“Instead of inflicting more unnecessary long-term damage to the industry we all want to see thrive, we ask the RMT to recognise the very real financial challenge the railway faces, and work with us towards a fair deal that both offers a pay rise and includes the long overdue changes we need to make to improve services for our customers.”
