07/10/2008 01:36:00
A Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) strike is expected to affect a number of Scotland's train services.
450 staff are due to walk out from midday today and at the same time on Thursday, leaving many commuters stranded with significantly reduced services. Roads are also expected to be exceptionally busy due to people having to drive into work rather than taking the train.
The RMT has said that the strike is being implemented over roster agreements. Network Rail, however, claimed the action was centred on the issue of whether safety assessments should be voluntary.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "How can you have a balanced lifestyle, when you get told on Thursday that, for example, you'll get next Tuesday off and you've got childcare arrangements, social arrangements, then you're told on the Monday that we can now change your roster and you've now got to come to work.... It's totally unacceptable."
Network Rail route director, David Simpson, stated on the same programme that the issue was "whether or not vital safety assessments should be voluntary."
He said: "RMT's view is that they should be, we're saying safety is critical, there's no compromise in that and we have to be able to roster those without them being voluntary."
Mr Crow, who dismissed Network Rail claims that the RMT has misinterpreted the staff issues, said the union would be available for further talks after midday on Wednesday, after the first 24-hour strike.
Glasgow Chamber of Commece chief executive, Richard Cairns, told BBC News: "There will be serious disruption to business as staff struggles to get to work and working time is lost. In the current economic climate, this strike is particularly unhelpful."
Limited services between Glasgow and Edinburgh and around Scotland's central belt are likely. However, no trains are expected to run north of Perth during the stoppages.
First ScotRail has said that it hopes to run as many trains as possible and that customers should check its website for updates.