Plea for talks with minister to stop railway CCTV strikes
UNION leaders have called for a meeting with the Transport Minister Humza Yousaf to try and avert a strike.
Railway workers have voted for strike action over cuts to CCTV staff, which they say is leaving the railway with “dangerous” levels of cover.
Memvers of the RMT union and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) are planning industrial action next month.
Manuel Cortes, general secretary of TSSA, has requested a meeting with Mr Yousaf next week at the STUC conference in Aviemore.
The concerns centre on staffing levels after a voluntary redundancy programme allowed 17 control employees to leave last year.
Issues have also been raised over rotas and compulsory night shift working that the union has said is making matters worse.
Mr Cortes said: “The SNP is letting ScotRail get away with taking industrial relations in Scotland back to the Victorian era.
“It is bad enough they ignored all warnings about letting one quarter of specialist CCTV staff depart at once. But now they have a needless crisis of their making, their solution is to stretch staff further by imposing compulsory night shifts on them.
“It’s not just a ludicrous way to treat safety critical staff, it’s downright dangerous.”
Mr Cortes invited the transport minister to meet a delegation to hear their concerns.
He added: “Mr Yousaf’s no mug. He’ll get that Abellio’s top team are digging another hole as they desperately try to rectify their mistake. Our pleas with Abellio to see reason and prioritise safety and respect good industrial relations practices have so far fallen on deaf ears.
“So, time for Mr Yousaf to step in and remind Abellio the first rule when you find yourself in a hole: stop digging.”
Mr Yousaf responded to the invitation on Twitter, stating: “Afraid I’ll not be able to make Aviemore. However, more than happy to speak to Manuel Cortes on this, or any other issue the union wish to raise. I’ll be in touch.”
David Lister, ScotRail Alliance sustainability & safety assurance director said: “We are disappointed with this vote, but will continue discussions with our people.
“The vast majority of our employees are very positive about the investment we are making. The safety of our employees and customers is our priority, which is why our proposals will improve safety and enhance the information we provide to our customers. It is wrong and misleading to suggest otherwise.”