Workers at 14 train operating companies across the UK will hold fresh strikes next month as their long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions continues.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out on November 3 and 5.
The latest action will coincide with strikes on the same days by RMT members on Network Rail, London Underground and London Overground. The Network Rail strike will also take place on November 7.
The strikes will cause widespread disruption to services across Scotland and the UK after a long summer of disputes.
The companies involved include four serving Scotland- Cross Country Trains, LNER, Transpennine Express and Avanti West Coast. The other companies are Chiltern Railways, Greater Anglia, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, West Midlands Trains and GTR (including Gatwick Express).
The union said that despite repeated negotiations, the Rail Delivery Group has failed to make an offer.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Throughout this whole dispute, the Rail Delivery Group has been completely unreasonable by not offering our members any deal on pay, conditions and job security.
“Some of our members on the train operating companies are some of the lowest paid on the railways.
“This stands in stark contrast to rail operating company bosses making millions of pounds in profit.
“We remain open to meaningful talks, but we are steadfast in our industrial campaign to see a negotiated settlement for all our members in this dispute.”
A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “We are frustrated that the RMT leadership has decided to take further strike action. Given their recent call for ‘intense negotiations’ we had hoped they would give our staff and customers a much-needed break from the disruption and lost pay of the last five months.
“Instead of inflicting more unnecessary long-term damage to the industry we all want to see thrive, we ask the RMT to recognise the very real financial challenge the railway faces, and work with us towards a fair deal that both offers a pay rise and includes the long overdue changes we need to make to improve services for our customers.”
Meanwhile Network Rail has invited union leaders to “intensive” talks next week in a bid to avert a fresh wave of strikes in a long-running row over pay, jobs and conditions.
Network Rail’s chief negotiator, Tim Shoveller, has written to RMT general secretary Mick Lynch strongly denying union claims of a U-turn on a pay offer.
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