Friday 23 Dec 2011
95% OF SCOTTISH SERVICES TO RUN DESPITE STRIKE
- Region & Route:
- Scotland’s Railway: Scotland
- Majority of services on routes across Scotland will be unaffected by RMT strike
- Some local services from Glasgow Central to be reduced on Christmas Eve
- No disruption expected to cross-border operations
- No impact on published Boxing Day timetable
Network Rail remains confident of running a comprehensive service for passengers if the proposed RMT strike at the West of Scotland signalling centre in Glasgow goes ahead tomorrow (December 24).
Contingency plans have been prepared should a strike take place with managers and non-union staff ready to replace striking signallers from 06:00 on Christmas Eve until 06:00 on December 27.
The majority of services across Scotland will not be affected in any way by the industrial action – more than 95% of services will run as timetabled. Cross-border travel will also be unaffected.
Services on some local routes from Glasgow Central will be altered on Christmas Eve, but all stations will be served throughout the dispute.
On Christmas Eve, Glasgow Central-Cathcart Circle services will be withdrawn, but the Cathcart Circle stations will still be served by trains to Newton and Neilston.
Glasgow Central to Whifflet, Paisley Canal and Barrhead will be reduced to an hourly service. Glasgow Central to Gourock trains will be reduced from three to two per hour.
The strike will have no impact on the Boxing Day timetable which has already been published. Boxing Day services will be affected by engineering works on some routes, but no additional impact due to the RMT dispute is expected.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “We’re confident we will run a comprehensive service for passengers. More than 95% of services across Scotland will run as timetabled and even in Glasgow, every station served by Glasgow Central trains will receive a service. Only a small number of local services have been reduced.
“We have made every effort to avoid a strike, but the union’s stance – that we must remove a signaller from his post before they will negotiate – has made it impossible to reach a resolution.”
Notes to editors
The dispute only affects 32 staff based at the West of Scotland signalling centre. It is not a national dispute.
Slotting refers to making appointments based solely on seniority. The practice has not been commonplace since British Rail was privatised in 1994.
The union wishes to see a signaller recently appointed to a temporary post at the West of Scotland signalling centre (through an open, merit-based selection process) removed from his position and the job given to its preferred candidate instead.
Even if the company adhered to seniority arrangements, which it does not, the union’s claim that their preferred candidate is more “senior” than the other is incorrect. The company has provided the union with data which clearly shows that both started in their grade on the same day and share equal seniority.
The union has not sought a negotiated settlement on this matter and has refused to consider any alternative solutions during the talks held this week.
The West of Scotland signalling centre is the most modern facility of its kind in Scotland. The purpose-built, £20m centre opened in 2008.
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