Christmas rail strikes to hit CrossCountry passengers as workers announce walkout

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Christmas consumers, soccer followers and other people making long-distance journeys to see household over the festive season will likely be hit by the newest spherical of rail strikes involving CrossCountry Trains.

Members of the RMT union working for the rail agency will stroll out on every Saturday in December – 6, 13, 20 and 27 – in a row over pay and staffing.

Most or all CrossCountry companies linking England, Wales and Scotland via a hub in Birmingham New Avenue are prone to be axed on the strike days. Usually the corporate carries round 100,000 passengers a day

The dispute centres on what the RMT says are “long-running points on pay, staffing and beforehand agreed commitments”.

The union says the corporate has “didn’t honour agreements on time beyond regulation funds, workers resourcing and wage discrepancies for various grades”.

RMT common secretary Eddie Dempsey stated: “CrossCountry has not handled the core points on this dispute and has come again with a proposal that’s worse than what was already on the desk.

“Our members are nonetheless dealing with unresolved staffing shortages, unfair pay outcomes and damaged commitments. RMT members have been left with no selection however to take strike motion.

“The corporate should return with a critical provide that meets the commitments it has already made and treats our members with the equity and respect they deserve.”

The Impartial has requested CrossCountry Trains for a response.

The Saturday earlier than Christmas, 20 December, is likely one of the busiest days for long-distance journey over the festive season. The Saturday afterwards is predicted to be busy as it would see the primary trains on many strains since Christmas Eve.

As well as, due to engineering work on the West Coast Principal Line, many passengers on 27 December have been relying on CrossCountry to make journeys across the Community Rail closures.

Union members walked out on the Saturday of the August financial institution vacation weekend, halting all CrossCountry companies. An additional strike deliberate for Saturday 18 October was referred to as off, although many trains have been cancelled as a result of it was too late to reinstate a standard timetable.

In a separate dispute involving practice drivers working for CrossCountry, the operator apologised to the Aslef union and stated “cultural, structural and behavioural points” on the firm could be investigated.

Learn extra: These are the busiest rail journey days you might want to keep away from this festive season