SCOTRAIL services are set to be severely impacted later this month with a three-day strike leaving the rail operator uncertain if it will be able to run any services.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are due to strike on June 21, 23 and 25 with 50,000 members of Network Rail staff set to walk out.
Network Rail, which is run by the UK Government, is in a dispute with its employees over its plans to cut hundreds of critical maintenance jobs. This is part of a £2 billion reduction in spending, including hundreds of jobs north of the Border.
The subsequent planned strike is said to be the largest industrial action to take place in the industry in a generation.
The RMT union in Scotland has said that it will not just be cross-Border services affected by their dispute, with ScotRail set to be impacted as the strike will include Network Rail staff in Scotland.
This is due to the strikers including safety-critical workers, like signallers who are key to keeping trains running.
This comes as the train drivers union Aslef is set to meet with ScotRail on Thursday to try and resolve a separate pay dispute which has seen services cut by half and a temporary timetable put in place due to labour shortages.
Contingency plans are being drawn up by Network Rail but the strikes are expected to affect services for six days from the first walkout on Tuesday June 21 to June 26, the day after the last strike.
The rail operator said: "The impact is expected to be significant with a limited service operating, if at all."
It has been reported that fewer than one in five services will run and those will only be between the hours of 7am and 7pm, with only main lines being in operation.
However, it remains unclear which Scottish services will be affected.
Which ScotRail services will be affected by the strikes?
It is likely that ScotRail services will be affected all over the country, with concerns being raised that all trains across Scotland will be halted during the strikes.
However, the exact extent of the impact remains unclear with the rail operator saying that it will be “significant” while neglecting to give more information - adding that they will share more information when they have it.
There is the possibility that an agreement could be found between RMT and Network Rail before the scheduled strikes take place but this remains unlikely.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said he would like to find an alternative to another strike.
He said: "We don't want to cause misery.
"We've got a cost of living crisis and our workers have been working throughout the pandemic and their reward has been a pay freeze.
"I understand the anger of people - but I also understand the anger of our workers.
"We're not holding the public hostage - but we're not going to accept the poverty of our members."
Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said the group is “doing everything we can” to find a resolution before the planned industrial action.
He said: “There are two weeks until the first strike is planned. We will use this time to keep talking to our unions and, through compromise and common sense on both sides, we hope to find a solution and avoid the damage that strike action would cause all involved."
