This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/8565102.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Union hails 'solid' rail strike | Union hails 'solid' rail strike |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Leaders of the RMT union have claimed there is "rock solid" support for a 24-hour walkout by rail workers. | Leaders of the RMT union have claimed there is "rock solid" support for a 24-hour walkout by rail workers. |
| About 560 members of the RMT were taking part in a strike over plans to run the new Edinburgh to Glasgow via Airdrie route without conductors. | |
| It is the third strike this year over the plans, which the RMT claims would jeopardise passenger safety. | It is the third strike this year over the plans, which the RMT claims would jeopardise passenger safety. |
| First ScotRail said it was "business as usual" and rugby fans travelling to the Scotland v England were unaffected. | |
| The firm said extra carriages had been provided for 11,000 supporters on the Glasgow to Edinburgh route. | |
| It also claimed it had run even more trains than on the previous two strikes - with 100% of services on key routes and at least 95% of trains overall. | |
| It says it all that the company have resorted to running ghost trains this morning to pump up their numbers Bob CrowGeneral secretary of the RMT | It says it all that the company have resorted to running ghost trains this morning to pump up their numbers Bob CrowGeneral secretary of the RMT |
| However, the RMT said the train operator faced "major disruption" as a result of the action, and accused the firm of running "ghost trains" - services with no passengers on board - to distort their figures. | |
| The union held a rally at Edinburgh's Waverley Station as part of its action, and assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said about 100 people from the capital and Stirling attended the event. | The union held a rally at Edinburgh's Waverley Station as part of its action, and assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said about 100 people from the capital and Stirling attended the event. |
| Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said: "Our members are rock solid across Scotland in their third day of strike action in defence of rail safety and the role of the guard. | Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said: "Our members are rock solid across Scotland in their third day of strike action in defence of rail safety and the role of the guard. |
| "It says it all that the company have resorted to running ghost trains this morning to pump up their numbers. | "It says it all that the company have resorted to running ghost trains this morning to pump up their numbers. |
| "We will be meeting with the transport minister next week and hope to be able to make progress on maintaining the safety-critical role of the guard." | "We will be meeting with the transport minister next week and hope to be able to make progress on maintaining the safety-critical role of the guard." |
| However, a ScotRail spokesman described the union's claims about ghost trains as "a lie". | However, a ScotRail spokesman described the union's claims about ghost trains as "a lie". |
| ScotRail's boss said passengers would not notice that a strike was under way | ScotRail's boss said passengers would not notice that a strike was under way |
| "Full details of the services we are running are available on our website for all to see," he added. | "Full details of the services we are running are available on our website for all to see," he added. |
| The RMT has also issued warnings of potential safety breaches, citing two alleged incidents on previous strike days. | The RMT has also issued warnings of potential safety breaches, citing two alleged incidents on previous strike days. |
| At Glasgow Queen Street station, the union said the train doors on one service were activated on the track side rather than the platform side. | At Glasgow Queen Street station, the union said the train doors on one service were activated on the track side rather than the platform side. |
| It also claimed doors were activated when a train was short of the platform at Falkirk. | It also claimed doors were activated when a train was short of the platform at Falkirk. |
| But the ScotRail spokesman said: "We are not aware of any such incident at Falkirk. | But the ScotRail spokesman said: "We are not aware of any such incident at Falkirk. |
| "With regard to an incident at Glasgow Queen Street, it is true that a member of staff activated both sets of doors so that passengers could open them. But the member of staff immediately deactivated the doors. | "With regard to an incident at Glasgow Queen Street, it is true that a member of staff activated both sets of doors so that passengers could open them. But the member of staff immediately deactivated the doors. |
| "No doors were opened. Therefore, no-one was put at risk and safety was not compromised." | "No doors were opened. Therefore, no-one was put at risk and safety was not compromised." |
| The company's managing director, Steve Montgomery, said: "Our contingency plans are such that almost all our customers will not notice there is a strike." | The company's managing director, Steve Montgomery, said: "Our contingency plans are such that almost all our customers will not notice there is a strike." |