ScotRail staff have accepted a new pay offer with the RMT union, calling off a series of strikes in the lead-up to Christmas.
RMT members had planned to strike from Saturday, December 3, and were to continue on Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Christmas.
This would have caused severe travel disruption across Scotland but has been averted due to an increased offer of 5% plus an extra £750.
However, a separate RMT dispute involving Network Rail staff is continuing with four 48-hour strikes planned through December and January, which are likely to cause widespread disruption across Scotland.
What is the ScotRail pay deal?
ScotRail said wages will rise by 7.5% for conductors and ticket examiners as well as an 8.5% increase for lower-paid workers.
The ballot measure was put towards RMT members, with 67.7% agreeing to the new deal upon union recommendation.
As part of the new deal, the flat rate of pay has been increased to £10.50 per hour with a no compulsory redundancy guarantee for six years, up from five years.
The current agreement on rest day working has been extended until October 31, 2023.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s head of customer operations, said: “We are delighted that RMT members have voted to accept this pay offer.
“We worked hard to put forward an offer which recognises the hard work of staff, as well as the financial challenges faced by the railway as we recover from the pandemic.
“ScotRail, our staff, and our customers want to have a reliable, safe, and sustainable railway that supports the economy and connects communities across the country.
“By reaching an agreement with the RMT, we can now focus fully on delivering a service which our customers expect and deserve.”
Rail travel in Scotland has faced severe disruption throughout much of 2022 due to strike action over pay, working conditions, overtime and rest periods.
Strike action is still planned by the RMT in dispute with Network Rail
ScotRail staff most recently went on strike on October 10. It followed weeks of disruption in May in protest over the operator’s rest period and overtime policy in a separate dispute.
Hundreds of services were cancelled, including vital routes across the north and north-east, such as Inverness to Aberdeen and the Far North Line.
ScotRail was able to operate reduced services in the Central Belt, but further north, not one service was able to run.
The Scottish Government took control of ScotRail in April after deciding to nationalise the rail franchise.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth told the BBC the new offer had “very real benefits” for staff although it did not stop the impact of other strikes planned.
The ongoing dispute between Network Rail and the RMT will likely impact Christmas travel in the weeks ahead if not resolved quickly.
The RMT plans to strike across four 48-hour periods on December 13-14 and 16-17, and January 3-4 and 6-7.
Conversation