Rail operator ScotRail has announced that the impact of RMT union strike action on October 10 on rail services is “likely to be significant”.
The RMT which recently voted 77% in favour of strike action have announced that they intend to strike on October 10 in a dispute over pay, after the union rejected the previous pay offer of a 5% increase in August, instead proposing a 8.2% pay rise.
Speaking about to the announcement of the strike action, RMT Scotland organiser Mick Hogg said:
“Listen to what key and essential workers are actually seeking because we are not asking for the planet. All we are actually asking for is a decent pay increase that recognises the cost of living crisis.”
It is not the first time that strike action has been suggested on Scotland’s railways, in June Brig reported that a 5% pay offer had been accepted by ASLEF following strike action, and last month strike action by RMT meant that there were no trains to Dunblane, Alloa, or Stirling.
Responding to the announcement of strike action, Phil Campbell, head of customer operations at ScotRail, said that the rail strike action would have “significant consequences” for service delivery and added that the public will be informed of the precise impact “in the coming days”.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government who made the pay offer of 5%, described the announcement of strike action by the RMT as “a disappointing outcome” in the circumstances of what the government describe as a “very good pay offer”.
However, the spokesperson added that the Scottish Government is “still very much committed to working collaboratively with Trade Unions to make the publicly owned ScotRail a success”.
Passengers can check their travel routes and for any changes to train timetables on the ScotRail website here.
Featured image credit: ScotRail
