Rail customers could be set for more misery, disruption and cancellations across the ScotRail train network following the collapse of pay talks.
The Unite union has confirmed it is to ballot members on industrial action following after negotiations with Abellio ScotRail ended in stalemate.
A strike ballot, which will open on August 11 and close on September 1, comes as Unite bosses blame Abellio ScotRail for the lack of a “meaningful pay offer”.
Breakdown in negotiations
The union also claims that the rail company withdrew “a number of entitlements” from workers.
This, they say, includes the Rest Day Working Agreement with Unite in April 2020 for engineering workers.
The Dutch firm initially withdrew it for drivers but later reinstated it.
If the ballot for industrial action is successful then strike action is likely to take place from early September.
The move would heap more misery on beleaguered rail passengers who have already been subjected to weekend disruption triggered by Sunday strikes in recent weeks.
Abellio is to stop running the ScotRail franchise at the end of March 2022 when Scotland’s train services are set to be run by a public sector body.
Pat McIlvogue, Unite industrial officer, said the working relationship between the trade unions and Abellio ScotRail was non-existent.
Strike ballot
He said: “Unite’s members have had their terms and conditions cut, while Abellio also refuse to offer a decent pay rise.
“We have launched an industrial action ballot and we are confident our members will return a vote in favour of taking action.
“The workers have been treated with no respect, despite continuing to provide a valuable service throughout the pandemic.”
Unite has submitted a number of demands to Abellio ScotRail including a substantial increase in pay, greater flexibility of holidays, the introduction of no compulsory redundancies.
In response, ScotRail said the move by Unite to ballot its members on strike action was “disappointing”.
A ScotRail spokesperson said: “It’s disappointing that Unite is balloting members on industrial action just as we are starting to see customer return to Scotland’s Railway.
“Strike action is wrong at a time when we need to deliver a safe and reliable service and provide stability for our staff and customers alike.
“It is frustrating that Unite have tried to disrupt our services instead of working together with ScotRail to address the longer-term challenges that face the railway.”