The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Train passengers facing more delays as strike continues
ScotRail passengers are to face continued disruption on Sundays after ticket examiners voted overwhelmingly to extend strike action.
RMT members voted by 90% in favour of continuing their action, which began in April.
They joined conductors in refusing to work on Sundays – forcing the widespread cancellation of most services from the north of Scotland.
It follows a similar vote last month by conductors to continue their dispute with the public transport operator.
Engineers have also voted in favour of taking strike action.
RMT says it is locked in a fight with Dutch-owned firm Abellio, which runs the ScotRail franchise, for “pay justice and equality”.
Mick Lynch, general secretary, says the latest ballot result is “stunning”.
He said: “I want to congratulate our members who have stood firm alongside their conductor colleagues for over six months in this fight for pay justice and equality in the face of outrageous provocation from the employer.
“Today’s result will now be considered by the unions’ executive.
“Our campaign of action continues this Sunday and it is now down to ScotRail and their political masters to take this key group of staff seriously, to stop snubbing talks and to get around the table with the union to negotiate a fair and just settlement.”
Scottish Labour transport spokesman Neil Bibby has previously called on the Scottish Government to step in to end trade union action.
Claiming that industrial relations on Scotland’s railway were at an “all time low”, the MSP said industrial action during the COP26 climate summit to be held in Glasgow would be a “humiliation”.
“Are they really willing to stand by and let that happen?” he asked.
Transport Minister Graeme Dey said in response: “Labour say there should be no overall service reduction. In effect they are saying that what was suitable for 2019 should be suitable for 2022.
“Do they not recognise that there have been substantial economic, societal and environmental changes since 2019, and these changes will have a material effect on the provision of railway services.
“There will be changes to working patterns, where we work and how we work which we have yet to understand what they will mean for the future.
“Therefore what we need is a level of service provision that meets the changing needs of passenger demand as Scotland comes out of Covid, but with the flexibility for beyond.”
A ScotRail spokesman said: “It’s disappointing that the RMT’s ticket examiner members have voted to continue with their long-running strike.
“We’re seeing customers gradually return to Scotland’s railway, but our financial position is precarious and any strike action is damaging and wrong at a time when we need to deliver a safe and reliable service.
“To build a more sustainable and greener railway for the future and reduce the burden on the taxpayer, we need to change.
“All of us in the railway – management, staff, trade unions, suppliers and government – need to work together to modernise the railway so that it is fit for the future.”