RMT Press Office:

RMT strike action on Scottish Sleeper solid as a rock today in fight for workplace justice

RAIL UNION RMT has said that 48 hours of strike action on the SERCO-operated Caledonian Sleeper services, which started at noon today, is solid as a rock with members united and determined from Inverness to London in a fight for basic workplace justice.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

"RMT members are standing united and determined from Inverness to London today in a fight for basic workplace justice on the Caledonian Sleeper service while the company, SERCO, ignore their duty of care to their staff, wreck the talks process and focus solely on profiteering at our members expense. The shut down of services today and tomorrow is entirely due to SERCO and their cavailier approach to their staff. Their attitude is an absolute ‎disgrace.

"‎Every effort RMT has made to settle this dispute with SERCO has been kicked back in our faces. There was a chance to reach an agreement that would address the matters at the heart of the dispute this week but once again SERCO squandered the opportunity and chose instead to string us along. That is no way to run a railway.

"The union is angry and frustrated that promises made to us to deal with the serious concerns of the Caledonian Sleeper staff have not been honoured and the failure of SERCO to come up with any serious progress in key talks yet again this week left us with no choice but to go ahead with our industrial action from today exactly as planned. It is now down to SERCO to get serious, get out their bunker and get back round the table."

Ends