PICTURES: Rail workers in Inverness join UK-wide pickets organised by RMT union in pay conditions dispute
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A group of rail workers and union members were picketing in front of a train depot in Inverness this morning.
The protest comes as part of the series of contract negotiations which have seen strike action disrupting train travel in Scotland and the UK in the past months, with a total cancellation of services across the Highlands today.
Local members of the the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) gathered this morning from 7am, with representatives from both maintenance and operations staff from Network Rail in presence.
Local RMT representatives Andrew Brown and Douglas MacQuarrie were among the organisers.
Mr Brown, a signaller in Inverness, said: “We are here to to picket for the strike action, we have been offered a below-inflation pay rise form our company with massive changes in terms and conditions including, on the maintenance side, extensive job losses, and our pay rise in terms of inflation is in real terms a pay cut. We have been offered a four per cent pay rise for the first year and a two per cent in the second, and a further two per cent later in the year based upon changes to the terms and conditions.
“We really had a good response this morning, passers-by were also very supportive and Lorimers gave us coffee since some of us were here since 6am. Everybody is very positive, showing unity, we are all prepared forr a protracted strike.
“We are here to defend our rights as workers.
"This is now our fifth strike and there will be another. This is the first time that maintenance staff has come out. It's a show of unity in terms of our job cuts.
“During the pandemic, we didn't get furloughed, we didn't stay at home, we had to come out to work when people were told to stay off and getting covid, and told how important we are by the Government. We didn't gave a pay rise for three years, ad now the cost of liv has gone up massively. We are asking for a competitive pay rise, which we've not had, and the company doesn't seem to want to give this pay rise until we've had these cuts in maintenance, which we find unacceptable."
Mr MacQuarrie added: “It’s more about the terms and conditions – this will drastically reduce the numbers of people operating by 50 per cent, and I feel this is going to affect the safety of my working colleagues and the public.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Between Network Rail and the RMT, we have the power to make a deal.
“It is frustrating and disappointing that the RMT has refused to put our latest pay offer to its members.”
Network Rail said they have offered a deal that would see an 8 per cent pay increase over two years with a commitment to no compulsory redundancies over that period, with the offer including a 75 per cent discount on rail travel.
