ScotRail is to introduce a temporary timetable from Monday, 23rd May, because a significant number of drivers are not working overtime or rest days as the drivers' unions are balloting for industrial action over pay.
The temporary timetable to being introduced to provide greater certainty and reliability for customers. The Monday to Friday timetable is available online at scotrail.co.uk/timetable-update. Temporary timetables for Saturdays and Sundays will be issued in the coming days; the Saturday timetables will be broadly similar to the Monday to Friday timetable.
ScotRail is making the changes to provide greater certainty for customers as the current level of cancellations is not sustainable for customers and colleagues.
In common with many train operators across Britain, ScotRail has relied on drivers working overtime or on their rest days to provide a full service. To avoid the need for drivers to work outside their normal hours, in 2019 ScotRail sought to employ more drivers. However, the pandemic meant that driver training was significantly delayed.
ScotRail is still awaiting formal notification from ASLEF and the RMT on the details of the ballots of its members for industrial action.
Although ScotRail has offered the unions a very good offer, it is disappointed to find itself at this stage. The pay offer recognises the hard work of staff and the cost-of-living challenges faced by families across the country, while delivering value for the taxpayer.
The 2022/23 pay offer provided a 2.2 per cent increase in pay, in line with an agreement reached with other grades in October 2021. It also offered a top-up revenue-sharing arrangement that could potentially deliver up to an extra £195 for all staff per period. The full package would apply where revenue targets are exceeded.
ScotRail remains open to engaging in further meaningful conversations with ASLEF and the RMT.
David Simpson, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said:
“We are very sorry to customers for the disruption of recent days. We know what customers want more than anything is certainty and reliability, which is why we are introducing a temporary timetable.
“We want to resolve this dispute with the trade unions and move forward together to provide the safest, greenest, and most reliable railway we can for Scotland. We remain open to further talks with the trade unions.
“We're asking customers to check their journey on our website, mobile app, and through our social media channels as train times will have changed.”
The rail unions only care about themselves and the Union’s leader only care about maintaining their “batting average ” to justify their paid positions and the member’s subscriptions.
The rail Unions claim that most of their actions, strikes etc are for the rail traveller best interests. They are not.All they are going to do is persuade more people to use their cars.
The big shame is that the supermarket chains have been switching to rail for supermarket supply.This was one of good things that came out of Covid period. No doubt if these freight trains are disrupted the supermarkets will switch back to road it National Rail Strike goes ahead.
So what I read is that ScotRail drivers might actually go strike.