RAIL passengers are braced for three days of industrial action described as the “biggest rail strike in modern history”.
The RMT union working for Network Rail will strike, and unionised signal workers in Scotland will be taking part, with disruptions expected across Scotland.
This strike action is separate from the pay dispute raised by the Aslef union on behalf of ScotRail workers, which has impacted rail services across Scotland in recent weeks.
Gordon Martin, an organiser at the Scottish branch of the RMT union, told the Sunday National that, after being labelled “Covid heroes” throughout the pandemic, and as the cost-of-living crisis starts to bite, rail workers are now asking for a pay rise. For many workers, this would be their first pay rise in three years.
“The Tory government continually want to talk about train drivers. But this dispute next week includes a very limited number of train drivers,” said Martin. “There are people at major stations – Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central – some of whom are on £20,000.
“To some, that would sound like a good salary. But when you look at the current squeeze and the cost-of-living crisis, it’s not so good. The cost-of-living crisis has been generated by the UK Tories, ensuring their big business friends and the energy market are making phenomenal profits. Oil companies have made billions of profits this year – yet they tell us we can’t have cost-of-living pay rises.”
Pay is a contentious issue, with Steve Montgomery, chair of the Rail Delivery Group, noting in a public statement: “Taxpayers have provided the equivalent of about £600 per household since Covid, and passenger numbers are still only at around 75% of pre-pandemic levels.
“We need to bring rail up to date so that we attract more people back and take no more than our fair share from the public purse.”
However, Martin pointed out that “some of the highest-paid bosses in Britain work for the railway”. Analysis carried out at the start of the year revealed that senior staff at Network Rail dominate the ranking of highest-paid public sector jobs, with chief executive Andrew Haines earning at least £585,000 annually. “They’re saying there’s no money in the railway – there’s plenty. It’s just going to the wrong people.”
Network Rail have advised strike action could cost the rail industry as much as £30 million per day, something that SNP Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth (above) brought up in a letter to Tory Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in a call for a resolution. “If correct”, she said, “is it not the case that these estimates would also potentially far outweigh the cost of any savings arising from staff reductions through redundancies?
“It makes no economic sense for Network Rail to allow this dispute to worsen. On that basis, I think we can only conclude that this dispute is being allowed to continue for political or ideological purposes. The Scottish Government will not hesitate to make it known that that is our view.”
Alongside pay not rising in line with inflation, there are other issues striking workers at Network Rail are contending with according to Martin. “The rail delivery group – which the UK Government put together – wants to take staff off the trains, and cut up to two to three thousand frontline maintenance jobs at Network Rail.”
Although the railways in the UK are amongst the world’s safest, Network Rail’s actions risk jeopardising this through staffing cuts, creating “real danger”. Martin referenced the 2020 Stonehaven rail crash, where three people died when a passenger train from Aberdeen to Glasgow derailed due to heavy rainfall.
Investigators found that a drainage system improperly built by Carillion which went unchecked by Network Rail was responsible for the tragedy – the worst fatal event on UK railways in the 18 years preceding.
“Cutting maintenance jobs is a real danger to travel and the public. As a trade union, we’re fighting for our members, but also our industry and the people who use our industry. We want it kept safe from both Westminster politicians and the railway bosses – who know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” said Martin.
Strikes affecting public services, especially trains, can be a contentious issue with the public. The “devastating impact” is something the striking workers understand, Martin said, but strikes are caused by the UK Government and the rail delivery group.
“We would urge the public to look beyond the short-term inconvenience and look at the wider agenda to these people,” he said. “They claim to want to ensure safety, but it stands to reason, if you cut thousands of jobs, services will be poorer for everyone.”
The impact of the strike action will be revealed in time. Martin believes that this could set a precedent for workers across sectors. “There is no doubt that workers in Scotland deserve a pay rise,” he said. “Many other low-paid people in Scotland have provided an equally – arguably more important – service, caring [for] vulnerable kids, elderly people and sick people in hospitals.
“We want to see all workers in Scotland and in Britain get a reasonable pay rise that gives them the dignity they deserve in work.”
Meanwhile, UKHospitality Scotland expressed concerns over booking cancellations after RMT confirmed more rail strikes.
Network Rail staff across the UK, such as signal operators, will strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – with ScotRail already having warned it will only be able to operate a limited service on five routes.
UKHospitality Scotland executive director Leon Thompson said: “There is a lot of concern in the sector right now about the financial impact this is already having and will continue to have when we get to next week.
“Having industrial action on our railways is really just going to hold our businesses back.”
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that “despite the best efforts of our negotiators, no viable settlements to the disputes have been created” in talks with Network Rail.
