RMT welcomes cross-party ScotRail support

RAIL UNION RMT today welcomed support from cross-party MSPs for a motion tabled in the Scottish Parliament calling for Pay Justice and Equality for ScotRail workers and for the Scottish Government to take action to resolve the longstanding dispute.

RMT ScotRail ticket examiner and conductor grades members are continuing with industrial action in two disputes in their fight for pay justice and equality with the next phase of action going ahead on Sunday

The motion states that ScotRail are falling to treat company grades equally and states that 'Abellio ScotRail's operations continue to be fully funded by the Scottish Government under its Emergency Measures Agreement and that, as the Scottish Government is managing the franchise, only it has the ability to resolve these disputes.'

With further industrial action scheduled, RMT is once again repeating its calls for the Scottish Government, which is managing the ScotRail franchise via its Emergency Measures Agreements, to commit to meaningful talks to bring about a fair resolution to these disputes.

General Secretary Mick Lynch said:

'RMT welcomes the cross-party support from Labour and Green MSPs for finding a fair resolution to Abellio ScotRail ticket examiner and conductor grades disputes over pay justice and equality. MSPs have rightly recognised the essential role played by these workers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and that all grades of ScotRail worker deserve pay fairness and equality.

'The Scottish Government continues to manage the ScotRail franchise under its Emergency Measures Agreement and RMT believes that only it has the power to resolve the disputes.

'Therefore, RMT is reiterating its calls for the Scottish Government to intervene as a matter of urgency and ensure that a fair and just resolution to these disputes can be reached.'

Notes for editors:

The motion and signatories are:

Motion ref. S6M-00176

Pay Justice and Equality for ScotRail Workers

Submitted by: Richard Leonard, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour.

Date lodged: Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Neil Bibby, Maggie Chapman, Katy Clark, Ross Greer, Patrick Harvie, Monica Lennon, Gillian Mackay, Carol Mochan, Alex Rowley, Mark Ruskell, Lorna Slater, Colin Smyth, Paul Sweeney, Mercedes Villalba

Current status: Achieved cross-party support

That the Parliament commends what it sees as the essential role played by all grades of ScotRail workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure that rail passenger services in the Central Scotland region and across the country continued to run; understands that Conductor and Ticket Examiner grades members of the RMT have taken a number of days of industrial action since March 2021 in two separate disputes, with further dates for industrial action scheduled, over Abellio ScotRail's reported refusal to negotiate a rest-day working agreement for ScotRail general grades; believes with concern that this decision by Abellio ScotRail fails to treat all grades of ScotRail worker equally; understands that Abellio ScotRail's operations continue to be fully funded by the Scottish Government under its Emergency Measures Agreement and that, as the Scottish Government is managing the franchise, only it has the ability to resolve these disputes, and notes the calls on the Scottish Government to intervene as a matter of urgency and commit itself and Abellio ScotRail to meaningful talks with the RMT with the purpose of reaching a fair resolution to these disputes.

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