ScotRail to hold talks with union in effort to resolve pay dispute

theguardian.com:

ScotRail will open talks with the rail union Aslef on Tuesday to resolve a pay dispute that has led to the train operator axing more than 1,000 services from its timetable.

The company confirmed on Monday that it would meet union leaders hours after Aslef’s Scottish organiser, Kevin Lindsay, accused it of repeatedly ignoring his invitations to negotiate.

The newly nationalised company has cut about a third of its services, including 700 weekday trains and nearly 350 at weekends, from Monday after a large majority of its 1,200 drivers refused to work overtime.

One big event expected to be hit is Scotland’s sold-out World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine at Hampden, Glasgow, at 7.45pm on 1 June. Under ScotRail’s revised timetables, local train services will finish midway through the game, threatening travel chaos for fans.

ScotRail relies heavily on its drivers volunteering to work overtime or on rest days. Its drivers are furious that the company has verbally offered a pay rise of 2.2% this year and a revenue-sharing agreement, and have refused to take on extra shifts.

The cuts have been greeted with dismay by commuters, opposition MSPs and businesses, with Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, facing intense pressure to intervene in parliament last week. She said ScotRail’s drivers were already well paid, earning more than £50,000 a year, and needed to make reasonable demands.

Lindsay said ScotRail had refused to hold pay talks after the two sides held a brief meeting on 4 May, when ScotRail tabled its pay offer.

Lindsay wrote to Sturgeon on Monday urging her to intervene in the “shambolic” pay talks, saying: “The way hardworking, committed and skilled rail staff are being treated is appalling. The pay award being offered is