Rail staff to strike on day of Calcutta Cup

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 22:01

TRAIN conductors have been condemned by ScotRail for their "cynical" and "incomprehensible" decision to strike on the day of the Scotland-England rugby clash in Edinburgh.

The walkout on Saturday 13 March will be accompanied by stoppages on Saturday 20 February and Monday 1 March.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) announced the action yesterday after it was backed by 83 per cent of staff in a ballot attracting 82 per cent turnout.

ScotRail said it hoped to operate more than nine in ten services during the walkouts after training more than 200 managers to stand in for strikers. However, plans to run extra services for the Calcutta Cup match are now being reviewed.

The firm admitted no trains were likely to run on the Ayr-Stranraer, Motherwell-Cumbernauld, Glasgow-Oban/Mallaig, Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh, and Tain-Wick/Thurso lines.

Some services will be cut on other routes, while a question mark hangs over the London sleepers, because train managers will join the walkout by 550 staff.

However, normal services are due to run on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow route, and between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.

The RMT has called the strikes over plans to dispense with conductors on a new Edinburgh-Glasgow line via Bathgate and Airdrie, which is due to open in December. They would be replaced with lower-paid ticket examiners, with drivers taking over the operation of train doors.

The RMT argued the move threatened safety and breached contracts, claims denied by ScotRail.

A ScotRail spokesman said: "It is not only cynical but incomprehensible that the RMT has chosen to strike on one of Scotland's biggest sporting days.

"However, we have no intention of spoiling anyone's day and will keep Scotland's railway running."

But RMT general secretary Bob Crow said the overwhelming ballot result reflected conductors' anger over the issue. He said: "ScotRail's scandalous attitude to safety is underlined by its shabby attempts to put together an inadequately trained scab army rather than accept it has lost both the economic and safety arguments to keep the guard in charge."

Robert Samson, of Passenger Focus, the official watchdog, said: "We urge all parties to keep talking and find a solution without resorting to industrial action."

The Scottish Government said: "It is in the best interests of passengers that both sides should come together to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."