Rail workers in Aberdeen are picketing the city’s train station throughout the day in a dispute over pay and conditions.
As the strike action continues, there will be no trains operating in the north or north-east for the second day this week.
Around 40,000 RMT members across the UK are walking out due to an ongoing dispute with Network Rail.
As many of these workers are responsible for critical safety roles, only around a fifth of services will be running today.
ScotRail staff are not directly involved in the dispute but the strike action is continuing to have a knock-on effect on their ability to provide services.
The train company has had to put in place a skeleton timetable across the country which means no trains will be available to and from Aberdeen and Inverness today, or along the West Highland Line.
Some disruption is also expected tomorrow.
At the picket line
RMT members in Aberdeen gathered outside the train station on Guild Street this morning and plan to return this afternoon.
Tommy Campbell, retired Unite delegate for Aberdeen Trade Union Council, attended the strike today in an act of solidarity with the workers.
He said: They are justified in taking their stand as it’s always inevitable when inflation runs at double figures, and pay offers are in single figures, that it’ll lead to industrial conflict.
“We would hope of course that the employers and the government should now realise that given the cost of living crisis, it is time for them to ensure that there is an end to this dispute by making an increased offer and an offer to protect jobs.”
Second day of strikes
On Thursday, ScotRail also had a limited timetable running which covered just 11 routes in the Central Belt, Fife and the Borders.
Services will be restricted to the same areas today between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
ℹ️ Following today’s strike action by RMT members of Network Rail, we've increased the number of routes our skeleton service covers to include Fife & the Borders as well as the Central Belt. These limited services started at 07:30 & end at 18:30.
Check your last train home!
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) August 20, 2022
Gordon Martin, RMT regional organiser, said the members are looking for a “reasonable” pay offer when talking from the picket line in Glasgow this morning.
Talking to BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, he said: “In regards to the disruption on the railways, we regret that very much so. We’d rather our members were at work earning.
“This will be the third year with no pay rise in the midst of a cost of living crisis. The conditions at Network Rail are they want to cut the maintenance regime by 30%, they want to cut workforce by 7,000.
“They want to de-staff the trains in effect and close all he booking offices in the country, making the railway an unsafe place in our opinion.
“When we get a reasonable offer, we will take that to our members. This isn’t just about pay, I can’t stress this enough, this is about the conditions people work in.”
‘Get back round the table’
Nick King from Network Rail was interviewed on the radio show on Thursday.
He said: “We are keen to reach a resolution with the RMT and are keen to be talking to them. We have put a pay deal to them, and we would like them to put that to their members.
“There is nothing being proposed that would impact on safety. As far as jobs are concerned, we’re looking at two years of no compulsory redundancies. We would potentially reduce the number of jobs as part of modernising the business.
“Ultimately what we want to do I get back round the table with RMT and reach a deal.”
Anyone planning to travel by train today is encouraged to check the journey online in advance of going to the station.