Scotland’s transport minister calls on UK Government to end rail dispute

A Scottish minister has called on the UK Government to end a rail dispute that will have a catastrophic impact on Scotland’s train service.

Despite the long-running dispute being between the RMT union and Network Rail, the vast majority of ScotRail services will not run during strike days this week.

The union on Monday rejected emphatically a new Government offer, prompting Scotland’s transport minister to intervene and urge her UK counterparts to change their approach to the dispute.

The RMT said 63.6% voted to reject Network Rail’s offer on an 83% turnout.

“While this is not a matter in which the Scottish Government has any locus – I urge the Secretary of State for Transport to take a different approach and work with the trade unions to secure a railway that benefits users, staff and taxpayers,” Jenny Gilruth said.

“Scotland has embraced the concept of fair work, so it is disheartening to see our own progressive activity in this regard being put at risk by the inevitable wider consequences of the UK Government’s ill thought out, hasty and hostile approach to industrial relations,” she added.

“We do not welcome UK Government plans for so-called radical rail reform agenda which have yet to be explained to Scottish ministers in any detail, but which appear to be a guise for compulsory redundancies in the Network Rail workforce, including in Scotland.

“The Scottish Government remains committed to our long-standing policy of no compulsory redundancies.

“However, the last three Secretaries of State for Transport have failed to engage in any meaningful conversations on these matters – an approach that is quite unsatisfactory given the seriousness of this Network Rail dispute.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with the trade unions in Scotland to make public ownership of Scotland’s railway a success.”