Scottish Rail Strike to Go Ahead

07.10.2008 (17:30)

Rail services in Scotland will be hit by strike action with many services not running at all on Tuesday after last-minute talks failed to reach agreement.

About 450 signallers and signalling supervisors who are members of the RMT union will begin a 24-hour strike at noon in what it said was a dispute over rostering and transfers, Reuters reports.

"We have spent two days in talks at ACAS trying to reach agreement, but the company is still trying to rewrite the agreed rostering principles without consulting or negotiating, and that means today's action will go ahead as planned," said RMT General Secretary Bob Crow.

"If our members are to have any chance of a decent work-life balance and the ability to make plans with their families it is important that Network Rail sticks to its side of the agreements we have."

Network Rail said the union had rejected all attempts to find a "sensible solution," saying the disagreement centred on safety issues.

"We are bitterly disappointed to inform passengers and freight operators that the RMT still intends to take strike action this week," said David Simpson, Network Rail route director for Scotland.

"We have been unable to shift the union from its position -- a position that puts safety at risk by demanding safety assessments be voluntary, not compulsory."
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