ScotRail gateline staff join industrial action as company-wide train strikes continue

Rail Union RMT has announced that ScotRail gateline staff are to take industrial action following continued company-wide striking over pay dispute for rest day working.

ScotRail gateline staff are to take industrial action following continued company-wide striking over pay dispute for rest day working (Photo: ScotRail).

The staff join with other Abellio ScotRail workers, including Conductors, Ticket Examiners and Cleaners, who are involved in separate long-running disputes.

Abellio ScotRail Gateline CSA members action will come into place from midnight on August 11 this year until further notice.

Action includes taking no overtime, Higher Grade Duty or Rest Day Working.

A Rest Day Working ban in the form of only working booked Sundays will also be in place amongst gateline workers.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “ScotRail Gateline staff will be taking industrial action next month in their fight for pay justice.

“Their dispute runs alongside those of other grades at the company whose disputes have run for four months in what are now some of Britain's longest running industrial disputes.

"With yet another grade taking industrial action at ScotRail over the same issue, we call again on Transport Scotland, the Government and Abellio to face the fact that there is a real problem that needs urgently resolving and sit down with us to negotiate a fair and just settlement for all grades."

The news comes after the initial rejection of strike action by gateline staff RMT union members at the start of this month.

Union bosses balloted their gateline members for strike action and strike action was rejected having failed to reach the legal threshold.

However, members voted in favour of industrial action short of a strike.

Of the 163 gateline members entitled to vote in the ballot, 38.7 per cent voted to support strike action.

On action short of a strike, the legal threshold (40 per cent) was met with 45.4 per cent of members voting for it.

ScotRail claims it is facing its most serious financial as a result of the impact of the pandemic in recent years.

The train operator has been able to continue to operate during the pandemic thanks to significant financial support of more than £400million from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government has made it clear there is no extra money available and the operator claims that the top priority for everyone should be to achieve the much-needed recovery of the railway’s financial stability.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s Head of Customer Operations, said: “The rejection of strike action by gateline staff is greatly appreciated.

"As we continue to welcome customers back to Scotland’s Railway, now is the time for everyone to work together to rebuild.

“ScotRail is facing huge financial challenges, so industrial action over increased overtime payments is completely wrong for staff and customers as we are now starting to see customers return to Scotland’s Railway.

“The rejection of strike action shows that RMT bosses are becoming increasingly out of sync with views of their own members, who want to create a more sustainable railway for the future. We call on the union’s leaders in Scotland to stop this damaging campaign of disruption.

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