CALEDONIAN Sleeper staff are to take strike action next month in a row over the safety and wellbeing of workers.
The RMT rail union said Caledonian Sleeper bosses have not provided enough berths for rest periods and have not addressed the fatigue experienced by staff as a result.
Members will stage two 48-hour strikes in October and will also take action short of a strike later that month. All hosts and team leaders working on the service have been asked not to book on for shifts starting between 5.30pm on October 4 and 5.30pm on October 6, and from 5.30pm on October 11 and 5.30pm on October 13.
Serco, which operates the service, described the move as “extremely disappointing”.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Our vote shows that members on Serco Caledonian Sleeper are absolutely determined to seek justice in this dispute and I am sure this will be displayed by full support across the service for this industrial action.
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“A clear message has been sent to management by the vote and now by this call to action. It is now time for the Serco management to respond in a meaningful and positive way to the serious safety issues at the heart of this dispute.”
Ryan Flaherty, Serco’s managing director for Caledonian Sleeper, said: “We have been advised by the RMT that its members intend to take strike action on Caledonian Sleeper services next month. This is despite less than a third of our workforce voting in favour of this in their ballot.
“We are currently reviewing plans for services on the dates in question and will update guests should there be any changes that affect them.”
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