Exclusive:ScotRail strike breakthrough hope as staff offered higher pay in new deal

ScotRail staff balloting for industrial action over pay have been offered a higher increase this year in an apparent attempt to avert strikes, The Scotsman has learned.

However, the new offer is also believed to involve a smaller rise during the remaining years of the proposed three-year wage deal, according to industry sources.

Fresh talks between the Scottish Government-owned train operator and its four unions on Thursday were described as "constructive" by both sides and will resume this coming Thursday.

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It is understood the new offer would amount to some 8.5 per cent over three years, comprising 3.5 per cent from April this year and 2.5 per cent in both 2025 and 2026.

Commuters and travellers at Edinburgh's Waverley Station. Picture: PACommuters and travellers at Edinburgh's Waverley Station. Picture: PA
Commuters and travellers at Edinburgh's Waverley Station. Picture: PA

This compares to the previous of some 9.3 per cent offer over three years.

However, the earlier offer included only a 3 per increase over the course of the 2024/25, paid in two stages – 2 per cent in April and 1 per cent in January. The offer also involved the same two-stage increases in the following two years.

Sources said a three-year deal may be favoured because it would last beyond the next Scottish Parliament elections in 2026.

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ScotRail also hopes to recruit enough drivers by 2027 so it is not reliant on them volunteering for overtime.

ScotRail said Thursday's meeting was the latest of a series to discuss pay with train drivers union Aslef, the RMT, which includes other train crew and station staff, office staff union TSSA, and Unite, which includes engineers.

Strike ballots by all four unions are due to close during this month, starting with the RMT next week.

ScotRail said it negotiated on pay with two separate groups – train drivers, who are represented by Aslef and a few in the RMT, and the RMT and other two unions.

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ScotRail service delivery director Mark Ilderton said: “We remain fully committed to continuing discussions with our trade union colleagues and hope that we can come to an agreement on pay as quickly as possible.”

Although no official industrial action has started, ScotRail introduced a temporary timetable last month that reduced services by one quarter after some drivers stopped volunteering for overtime, on which the company depends.

That temporary timetable has mean hundreds of fewer trains available than usual in August for those travelling into Edinburgh for this month’s festivals.

It comes as a power cut was reported to have caused disruption yesterday on the first day of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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There were multiple reports of shows being cancelled or relocated in the Old Town due to outages on social media since around 4.30pm.

Organisers posted on X: “There’s a power outage in some city centre postcodes at the moment, which may be affecting some #edfringe venues – if you’re an affected venue and you see this, add a reply so we can let people know!”

One user posted: “Massive power cut in Edinburgh. Thesps are roaming the streets looking for spotlights and audience.”

Edinburgh Travel News, an account run by a team from City of Edinburgh Council, said the outage was also affecting some traffic signals in the city.

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