Strikes by workers across sectors in Perth and Kinross are set to hit the region in the coming weeks.
BT workers and Openreach engineers staged a fresh strike yesterday in a long-running dispute over pay – joining postal workers and rail staff who also staged recent walkouts.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said around 40,000 of its members, including BT Group’s 999 emergency call handlers, walked out following stoppages in recent months.
More strikes will be held on October 20 and October 24 if the deadlocked row is not resolved.
The strikes by BT call centre workers and Openreach engineers are in protest against a flat-rate pay rise of £1500, which the union described as “incredibly low” because of soaring inflation.
BT has said it will not be reopening its 2022 pay review.
Meanwhile, the region‘s rail network continued to be disrupted on Sunday following a Network Rail strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on Saturday.
No trains ran in Perth and Kinross at all on Monday as RMT members of ScotRail also staged walkouts.
Members of the RMT “overwhelmingly” turned down the latest pay rise implemented by newly-nationalised ScotRail after talks last Thursday.
It comes after an undisclosed deal was offered on Tuesday – weeks on from a separate five per cent increase which was also rejected.
ScotRail said it had been informed by the RMT that its general grades members would also take part in an overtime and rest day working ban from Friday, which will have some impact to services until the dispute is resolved.
On Thursday, October 13 Perth and Kinross postal workers are also set to hold a strike.
Further 24-hour walkouts are also planned for October 20 and October 25 if a pay deal is not struck with Royal Mail.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced 19 days of action overall, with the rest taking place in November and December.
Royal Mail says it has “well-developed contingency plans”, but “cannot fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce”.
On Wednesday, October 12 a strike ballot in the Educational Institute of Scotland, Scotland’s largest teaching union, also opened.
The latest wave of planned forthcoming industrial action comes after the Perthshire Advertiser reported last week that healthcare workers at NHS Tayside could also go on strike next month after 55,000 nurses and other medical staff in Scotland were urged to vote in favour of industrial action over pay.
The trade unions Unison and Unite have opened ballots for members with closing dates of October 31 and November 4 respectively, having rejected the Scottish Government’s five per cent pay rise offer for NHS staff for 2022-23.
For the ballot to be legal, 50 per cent of union members have to vote.
Unison says strike action from NHS Tayside staff could take place at the end of November during the busy winter period, but will work to ensure they will affect non-urgent activity but not emergency care or services.
