Staff


belonging
to
the
RMT
at
ScotRail
and
Caledonian
Sleeper
have
voted
in
favour
of
taking
strikes
in
their
separate
pay
disputes
with
the
nationalised
operators.

RMT
members
at
ScotRail
voted
for
strikes
by
85
per
cent,
on
a
turnout
of
64
per
cent,
while
90
per
cent
of
the
66
percent
who
voted
at
Caledonian
Sleeper
also
supported
walkouts.

The
union
said
it
will
be
holding
fresh
talks
with
both
companies,
in
a
bid
to
achieve
a
negotiated
settlement.

General
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘I
congratulate
RMT
members
in
Scotrail
and
Caledonian
Sleeper
for
this
fantastic
ballot
result.
Talks
with
both
sets
of
employers
will
be
convened
in
a
bid
to
resolve
this
dispute.’

Reports
say
that
the
first
discussions
then
took
place
yesterday,
and
that
there
will
be
more
talks
just
under
a
week
from
now,
on
15
August.

The
Scottish
Government,
which
owns
both
operators,
responded:
‘This
is
a
disappointing
outcome,
particularly
in
light
of
the
fair
and
affordable
offer
ScotRail
has
made
and
is
still
under
discussion
through
ongoing
pay
talks.

‘For
ScotRail
staff,
the
pay
offer
represents
a
9.3
per
cent
increase
in
basic
pay
over
three
years,
plus
improvements
in
other
benefits
such
as
maternity
and
paternity
leave.

‘Any
industrial
action
will
undoubtedly
have
negative
impacts
on
passengers
and
also
employees.
It
is
also
likely
to
mean
continued
timetable
changes
and
more
short-term
cancellations
disadvantaging
everyone.
We
want
to
provide
a
long
term,
secure
future
for
Scotland’s
railway
so
encouraging
more
people
to
travel
by
rail
and
ensure.
The
issues
at
hand
need
to
be
settled
but
there
can
be
no
increase
on
the
current
ScotRail
pay
offer.’

ScotRail
customer
operations
director
Phil
Campbell
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
the
public
finances.’