Damaging strike action called off after RMT agrees 2.5% deal…

Strikes that would have crippled ScotRail throughout COP26 were averted - after the RMT union agreed a pay deal that it described as leaving workers “quids in”.

RMT had announced a two-week all-grades strike covering the entirety of the international climate summit, after rejecting a series of pay offers from ScotRail management.

Shortly before the strike was announced, ScotRail had offered an improved two-year pay deal consisting of a 2.5% pay rise this year and a 2.2% increase next year. But after reopening negotiations, the union accepted a single-year 2.5% pay deal.

RMT representatives also secured the reinstatement of a “booking-on payment” for conductors working rest days until October 2022, to settle a separate dispute. ScotRail had introduced rest day incentives for train crew, but later withdrew the payment for conductors (but not for drivers) after recruiting more staff. In response, conductors have withdrawn their labour on Sundays for much of this year, leading to mass cancellations each weekend.

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