RMT: Scottish signallers’ announce new phase of strike action in long-running rosters dispute |

Tuesday 8th January 2013 | 09:18

RMT: Scottish signallers’ announce new phase of strike action in long-running rosters dispute

RMT press release

RMT confirmed today that signallers in the Stirling area will be on strike again this weekend in the long-running dispute over rosters as the union takes steps to broaden the campaign in light of the flagrant violation of existing rostering agreements by Network Rail.

RMT's executive has once again considered the current situation and due to the sheer intransigence of the management side, the union has decided to call another round of strike action to put further pressure on the company to meet the union's perfectly reasonable rostering requests.

RMT signalling members working at Stirling Middle, Stirling North and Dunblane are instructed to Cease work and take strike action between:

* 23.59 hours Friday 11th January 2013 and 23.58 hours Saturday 12th January 2013

The Stirling area signallers is now one of the longest-running disputes anywhere in Britain. For many months now RMT has attempted to negotiate an agreement with local management over twelve hour rosters within the framework agreement on rostering agreed between management and the unions. Regretfully, despite considerable efforts by RMT's local reps, management refuse to budge on the call for the 12 hour

rosters which staff in the Stirling area have requested in line with existing rostering policy and which the union knows will deliver a safe and efficient service.

RMT has been consulting all signalling members across Scotland in a series of meetings on how the dispute affects them, specifically the refusal of management to operate and negotiate within the terms of current rostering agreements. RMT has not ruled out the option of escalating the action as a result of the current breakdown and in light of the implications for the wider signalling membership.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"This dispute has been dragging on for many months and management should be in no doubt of as to RMT's determination to achieve 12 hour rosters for our members. A 100% vote for strike action plus a near 100% vote in favour of a 12 hour roster system cannot and should not be ignored.

"This dispute has been on-going for far too long due to management: intransigence and it is a tribute to the determination and solidarity of RMT members that they have stood firm and are now geared up to support the next period of action in this latest in a series of strikes. RMT has been consulting signalling members across Scotland on the implications for the wider workforce of managements refusal to negotiate a reasonable settlement within existing rostering agreements.

"Our members have shown their anger through their rock solid support for the earlier waves of strike action with pickets out in force sending a clear message to the employers that RMT is determined to win this fight.

"RMT will not allow Network Rail to ride roughshod over the clear democratic will of our members to improve the quality of their work/life balance and over negotiated rostering agreements that affect all of our signalling members. That is why we are now continuing to ratchet up both the wider campaign amongst our Scottish signalling members and the Stirling-area strike action. RMT remains available for meaningful talks."

Latest on this story

- Go to Everything about this story. Live.

Latest on Rail Transport

Press Release
- 14:35
- Labour: Rail passengers have every reason to be dissatisfied - Maria Eagle
News
- 07:00 (£)
- Ministers rail against block on direct train services
Press Release
- 09:23
- TSSA: German win threatens Bombardier's future
Press Release
- 20:53
- Labour: Thameslink must be the last public transport procurement to stack the odds against British jobs and apprenticeships - Maria Eagle
Opinion
- 07:00 (£)
- Network Real | Editorial

Phi Wire Hand Picked Politics - Live

PoliticsHome. All Todays Politics In One Place

Press Release

Press Releases