1,000 signatures reached
To: Alex White, Chief Operating Officer, Abellio ScotRail, and Bill Reeve, Director of Rail, Transport Scotland
Pay justice and equality for ScotRail workers
RMT is calling on ScotRail operator Abellio and the Scottish Government to address a blatant pay inequality within the ScotRail workforce that has arisen from Abellio's refusal to negotiate an enhanced rest day working agreement for all grades of workers.
Why is this important?
All grades of ScotRail staff are essential workers who have worked tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to keep services running for other key workers and essential travellers. RMT believes that all grades should be treated equally and rewarded fairly by their employer.
Yet Dutch state-owned operator Abellio is failing to treat all grades of workers equally. The Company has extended an enhanced payment rest day working agreement for one grade of workers, drivers, until October 2021, but has refused to negotiate an equivalent payment for other grades.
RMT ScotRail Conductor and Ticket Examiner members have voted to take industrial action, scheduled on Sundays, in two separate disputes over the Company’s refusal to negotiate a rest day working enhancement for their grades. For both grades, Sundays do not form part of the working week, and any staff that are booked to work Sundays do so as overtime.
Disgracefully, rather than attempting to resolve the dispute with RMT, Abellio ScotRail has focused on issuing provocative public statements, criticising its own workforce. These essential workers deserve better.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Abellio ScotRail’s operations have been fully funded by public money under the terms of its Emergency Measures Agreement with the Scottish Government. RMT is therefore calling on the Scottish Government to use its powers to intervene and commit itself and Abellio ScotRail to meaningful talks with the RMT to address this blatant inequality that exists within the ScotRail workforce.
As always, RMT remains available for talks and believes that Abellio ScotRail should start acting responsibly and take up this offer rather than treating its essential workers with disdain.