Railworkers at the West of Scotland signalling centre will take two further days of strike action in January in a dispute over management’s refusal to fill vacant posts with internal candidates, despite a long-standing local agreement which sets out a procedure for doing so.
Bob Crow, the general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union (RMT), which represents the signallers, said:
“RMT has tried to reach a negotiated settlement to this unilateral ripping-up of a local arrangement but unfortunately the management have refused to see sense and have failed to engage with us at all since the strike action over Christmas. RMT members will not stand by while management unilaterally rip-up agreements and practices that have been in place at local level for decades.
“As a consequence of management’s continued intransigence we have no option but to go ahead with this further wave of strike action.
“RMT members are furious at this refusal to comply with a local arrangement that offers genuine career progression opportunities.”
The workers took 72 hours of strike action from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day and will strike again on Tuesday 24 January and Saturday 28 January.