Trade union leaders have warned strike action is still “on the table” if ScotRail doesn’t provide a new “improved and acceptable” offer.
Aslef, which represents train drivers, is expected to carry out further talks with the rail operator on Monday after rejecting the company’s 4.2% pay deal on Wednesday.
It was the second offer to be put before union members following weeks of intense negotiation between Aslef and ScotRail representatives.
As a result of the disagreement, drivers refused to work on rest days, plunging the service into chaos with cancellations and delays.
The union’s national executive committee has now warned customers could face even more disruption if ScotRail doesn’t come back to the table with a better offer next week.
Speaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Aslef’s Scottish organiser Kevin Lindsay said: “We held a series of open meetings across Scotland where more than 250 train drivers attended and only one person said this offer was acceptable.
“The likelihood is that we would ballot for withdraw of all overtime working and we’ll look for a series of discontinues 24-hour stoppages – but we are a long time off from that.
“We’ll sit down with ScotRail again on Monday and we believe there are a number of things that can be done to reach a settlement.”
‘The ball is clearly in ScotRail’s court’
The pay dispute has been the first major hurdle for the new ScotRail, which was brought into public ownership in April.
More than 700 services were cut as a result of the disagreement, causing a string of cancellation and delays across the country.
Last week the rail operator increased its initial pay offer from 2.2% to 4.2% in hope to end the dispute and prevent further travel chaos.
And while this was first hailed as an “optimistic breakthrough” in talks with the union, Mr Lindsay said this was not enough.
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He insisted their demands are “reasonable and fair” and added: “If we get an improved and acceptable offer, there will be no strike action – it’s as simple as that.
“The ball is clearly in ScotRail’s court now. They can come up with an improved offer using the money that’s already there in this package so let’s get a deal sorted and the railway running.
“We’ll go in, we’ll speak with ScotRail again on Monday and hopefully we can thrash out a deal that delivers for Scotland’s train drivers but more importantly delivers for the people in Scotland as well.”
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