The RMT rail union has until 5 pm today to accept the SNP’s terms for ending an ongoing dispute over salaries before proceeding with their planned strike action throughout COP26. So far, the talks have been stuck in deadlock, with the SNP offering an increase in basic pay of between £1700- £2600, and the RMT still demanding a renegotiation. Only four days until delegates arrive for the opening…

The union, which represents Scotrail, is insisting that the SNP’s “new deal” is “just the same numbers repackaged but still loaded with strings that would amount to a defacto pay cut“, and has confirmed that conductors and ticket examiners will strike throughout almost the entirety of the summit unless the Scottish government returns to the negotiating table. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said:

“…The ball is in the SNP’s court. They need to take responsibility for bringing us to this point and get into a dialogue with the union that puts pay justice on the agenda. We are waiting.”

The Scottish Conservatives have also jumped in to urge the RMT to “take the threat of strike action off the table” and to find “a speedy resolution“. All just to keep COP26 on-track…