STRIKE action will hit Scotland’s rail network during the Cop26 world summit on climate change in Glasgow next week after transport union RMT threw out a “pitiful” pay proposal from bosses.

The unanimous decision against the new offer, which amounted to extra payment during Cop26 with productivity strings attached, came at the union’s annual conference in Leeds today. 

Strike action will hit Scotrail and the Caledonian Sleeper service from November 1 to 12, the duration of the Cop26 summit.

Scotrail is operated by state-owned Dutch rail company Abellio, which was described by RMT general secretary Mick Lynch as “just a husk company” operating on behalf of the Scottish government. The firm’s franchise to run Scotrail runs out early next year.

“They will not be handling the negotiations. They will just be passing on messages,” he said.

He warned that Scotrail would mobilise managers and others to undermine the strike during the key summit. “And not just from Abellio: they will get managers and scabs from all over Britain,” he said.

A delegate from Northern Rail told the conference that his members were already being approached to keep Scotrail services running during the strike.

“There will be no Northern Rail workers on Scotrail,” he said.

Mr Lynch said the proposed settlement was “poor, loaded with productivity strings and wholly unacceptable to the members who voted overwhelmingly for strike action to secure a fair pay deal.

“Our message to [Scottish First Minister] Nicola Sturgeon, Transport Scotland, Abellio and [sleeper operator] Serco is that there is still time to resolve the pay disputes — but it requires some serious movement, the lifting of bogus deadlines and genuine talks.

“The union is available to get those talks on any time, any place, anywhere.”

Earlier, RMT president Michelle Rodgers warned delegates to prepare to fight against a continuing onslaught on the industry.

She said that the latest attack on rail workers is an attempt by the Department for Transport to cut jobs through a new voluntary severance scheme for workers employed by private rail operators — funded by taxpayers.

“We are going to face an onslaught of job cuts,” she said in her opening address to RMT conference. “We have a big fight on our hands. 

“To all our members now facing the threat of massive job losses on our railways, we must stand proud and return to the militancy this union has always believed in and fight and strike for every job.”