Subway dispute still unresolved

The subway dispute has still not been settled

The dispute over Glasgow subway workers' pay and holidays remained unresolved on Monday night following another day of disruption.

Members of the Transport & General Workers Union (T&G) agreed to suspend further industrial action but only if management changed its holiday rosters.

T&G regional organiser Scott Foley said that once this happened, talks on a new offer could begin.

Strathclyde Passenger Transport said it would consider the union's response.

Mr Foley said that providing the rosters for off-duty days and holidays were restored, the industrial action would be suspended and talks on a new offer could start.

He added that, despite attempts to gain SPT's agreement to this, nothing had been heard from management.

Commuter problems

An SPT spokesman said Monday's strike action had caused problems for more than 40,000 commuters in the city. On Friday SPT claimed it had made a breakthrough in negotiations but the T&G said the dispute had not been settled and the strike went ahead at 0630 GMT. A union meeting had already been arranged for Monday lunchtime.

The dispute, which involves drivers, ticket collectors and safety workers, began on 20 January, after they rejected a two-year pay offer from SPT and objected to changes in holiday cycles.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, SPT said it would draw up an "affordable framework agreement" by 18 March.

It said this would include all the projected savings from new working practices which it would plough back into paying for improvements in flexibility and productivity.

The company said the T&G had agreed to respond to this framework by 1 April, 2005.

SPT said its negotiated offer of a pay increase of 2.95%, backdated from 1 April last year and carrying through until 31 March 2006, had been accepted by 160,000 local authority staff