Scotland’s railway network could be plunged into yet more chaos as another union threatens to walkout.
Hundreds of ScotRail workers could strike in September unless they win a ‘credible’ pay deal.
Unite, which represents 300 workers at the state-owned operator, has become the third union to announce a strike ballot in the pay row.
Aslef and RMT have recently announced they will be balloting their ScotRail staff.
Bosses have already been forced to introduce a temporary timetable on the network because of the dispute – slashing hundreds of services a day to ‘provide greater certainty and reliability’ for passengers.
Temporary timetables are in use as drivers have refused to work overtime amid the dispute
It came after a rise in drivers refusing to work overtime and on their rest day, a practice the network relies on, with more than a quarter of services being taken off the schedule as a result.
Unite yesterday said it was ‘full steam ahead’ over its plans for industrial action as it threatened autumn chaos.
If members back strike action it would follow from a threatened summer of misery across the country with bin workers set to walkout as part of their own pay dispute.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison is set to meet unions with council umbrella group Cosla tomorrow in crunch talks to try avert the strikes which would leave rubbish mountains across Scotland.
On the railways Unite’s members, including train cleaners, engineers, ticket agents, hospitality assistants and conductors, will be balloted between Wednesday and August 20.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, yesterday (MON) insisted they had ‘no option’ but to ballot members.
She said: ‘Disgracefully, ScotRail has not even made a formal pay offer let alone a fair one for our members.
‘Unite’s members are essential to keeping the trains running yet many of them struggle to survive financially as they don’t earn huge sums of money.’
Nicola Sturgeon brought ScotRail under government ownership in April 2022, a move which was welcomed by trade unions who blasted the privatised network as a ‘failed experiment’.
But since then ScotRail has hiked its fares twice, once by 4.8 per cent in July 2023 and then again in April this year when they went up a further 8.7 per cent.
ScotRail’s last pay dispute was two years ago when evening trains on many routes terminated hours early after drivers decided not to work overtime.
As part of latest negotiations it is understood ScotRail offered Unite, and the other trade unions, a cumulative 9.3 per cent rise over three years.
Scotland’s rail workers are threatening to strike amid the looming prospect of a strike by council bin men
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon nationalised rail operator ScotRail in 2022
But this was rejected by all unions involved in the dispute.
Unite said it was a verbal pay offer, not a formal one, and would have seen workers receive a two per cent rise backdated to April and then a one per cent rise from January.
This pay rise pattern would have been repeated the following two financial years.
Pat McIlvogue, Unite industrial officer, said: ‘The Scottish Government, who are the ultimate paymasters, and ScotRail need to get their heads together and quickly.
‘There is still a window of opportunity to resolve this dispute through negotiation.
‘If they fail to grasp this chance, then it will be full steam ahead towards autumn strike action.’
Unite’s negotiation process is separate from the drivers’ pay and bargaining process.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s customer operations director, said the company was ‘keen to resolve this dispute and remain committed to continuing discussions with our trade union colleagues’.
He added: ‘We recognise the hard work of our colleagues and the cost-of-living challenges faced by families across the country and hope that we can come to an agreement on pay which reflects this, as well as providing value for money for taxpayers.’
A Transport Scotland spokesman said pay negotiations were for ScotRail, who were the employer.
He added: ‘Train planning and staff rotas are operational matters for ScotRail.
‘However, we fully expect any timetable to give the best reliability and availability for passengers and that changes are communicated well in advance to enable effective journey planning.
‘Although the Scottish Government is not at the negotiating table, Ministers are being kept informed of progress.’
