XC RMT Strike - is there a discussion somewhere?

[trainophile]

Have done a few searches on here, and I can’t find anything, below is the XC announcement about it made on 9th June…

Is there a discussion thread somewhere? I have questions!

CrossCountry customers advised of short-notice disruption to services | CrossCountry

CrossCountry customers are being warned of ongoing travel disruption due to industrial action by the RMT union on weekdays and Saturdays.

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

CrossCountry customers advised of short-notice disruption to services​

Monday 09 June 2025

• CrossCountry customers are being warned of ongoing travel disruption due to industrial action by the RMT union on weekdays and Saturdays.
• Planned industrial action by the union will mean short-notice cancellations from Monday 9 June until Saturday 25 October.
• Restrictions on when RMT members can work will mean more cancellations than usual over this period – passengers are advised to check before travelling.

 

[43055]

I don't believe I have seen it anywhere on the forum. From what I have seen it is not causing much in the way of changes with it mostly on the Cardiff - Notts with 1 or 2 cancellations a day (not sure about the Leicester/Manchester routes).

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Have done a few searches on here and I can’t find anything, below is the XC announcement about it made on 9th June…

is there a discussion thread somewhere? I have questions!

(Sorry can’t do a link on phone but it is/was on XC’s web page.)

• CrossCountry customers advised of short-notice disruption to services​

  Monday 09 June 2025
• CrossCountry customers are being warned of ongoing travel disruption due to industrial action by the RMT union on weekdays and Saturdays.
• Planned industrial action by the union will mean short-notice cancellations from Monday 9 June until Saturday 25 October.
• Restrictions on when RMT members can work will mean more cancellations than usual over this period – passengers are advised to check before travelling.

I think that's out of date. This is what it currently says on the Cross Country website:

Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Find Train Fares | CrossCountry

Book quickly and easily. Buy cheap train tickets, find live train times, explore Railcards, and more today with CrossCountry.

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

According to the National Rail website the industrial action has been suspended:

Incident: Industrial action xc | National Rail

SUSPENDED - Industrial action to affect CrossCountry services until Saturday 25 October. Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

[185]

There's numerous cancellations on the Manchesters anyway due to general shortages of both drivers and TMs at present so Lord only knows how bad it would be if there was an overtime ban still in place.

 

[Russel]

What was the reason behind this strike?

 

[DarloRich]

What was the reason behind this strike?

work to rule is not a strike. We should be clear with our terminology. I assume XC staff are working to thier contracted hours and not taking overtime.

 

[trainophile]

Thanks for the replies. I’ve changed my plans now to avoid hoping for the best on Saturday (York to Birmingham NS), especially in view of the forecasted stormy weather which might deter disgruntled drivers from volunteering for overtime!

 

[ValentaFan1974]

Just to clarify - the RMT action didn’t affect drivers as they’re in ASLEF. Also, the industrial action that was in place has been cancelled. However there is a fresh ballot currently taking place for a new wider ranging dispute under “Breakdown in industrial relations”. This closes on 24th July, so any new action won’t take place for at least 2 weeks after this…

 

[trainophile]

My apologies for all the errors of assumption , I should have fact checked more thoroughly, and also a rookie mistake about RMT not representing drivers.

I checked for last Saturday on RTT and there was a Newcastle cancelled but I didn’t find out why. Anyway let’s hope things run smoothly from now on, ballot results notwithstanding. Thanks again for everyone’s comments and explanations.

 

[NEDdrv]

Just to clarify - the RMT action didn’t affect drivers as they’re in ASLEF. Also, the industrial action that was in place has been cancelled. However there is a fresh ballot currently taking place for a new wider ranging dispute under “Breakdown in industrial relations”. This closes on 24th July, so any new action won’t take place for at least 2 weeks after this…

XC drivers also to be balloted for XC management not abiding by agreements.

 

[43066]

XC drivers also to be balloted for XC management not abiding by agreements.

Very disappointing that this is continuing after the supposed reset the end of the national dispute was supposed to bring about.

 

[Russel]

work to rule is not a strike. We should be clear with our terminology. I assume XC staff are working to thier contracted hours and not taking overtime.

Thread title said strike!

 

[whoosh]

However there is a fresh ballot currently taking place for a new wider ranging dispute under “Breakdown in industrial relations”. This closes on 24th July, so any new action won’t take place for at least 2 weeks after this…

Interesting that the Managing Director and the Head of Industrial Relations have both come from Amazon, where there's been some disgusting anti-union tactics used.

Drivers have a strike ballot that closes on 29th August, over 'failure to adhere to negotiated agreements'.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Interesting that the Managing Director and the Head of Industrial Relations have both come from Amazon, where there's been some disgusting anti-union tactics used.

Drivers have a strike ballot that closes on 29th August, over 'failure to adhere to negotiated agreements'.

Is August a typing error and you mean July?

 

[whoosh]

@Jan Mayen

For drivers, closing date is 10:00 on Friday 29th August 2025, according to the ASLEF circular I've seen. The circular says at the bottom about notifying the union of any personal information changes, such as address, by a date near the end of July. Perhaps it's that you've seen or heard?

 

[Starmill]

Have done a few searches on here, and I can’t find anything, below is the XC announcement about it made on 9th June…

Is there a discussion thread somewhere? I have questions!

CrossCountry customers advised of short-notice disruption to services | CrossCountry

CrossCountry customers are being warned of ongoing travel disruption due to industrial action by the RMT union on weekdays and Saturdays.

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

Hi trainophile, it was under discussion previously in this thread about a driver shortage: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/crosscountrys-driver-shortage.278538/page-14

Which is probably why you couldn't find it. It started as a general driver shortage and morphed into a number of different issues including working to rule and affecting drivers, train managers and the catering grades.

At present, it remains action short of a strike, so if you were searching for the word "strike" that is likely to be why you couldn't find anything.

 

[Jan Mayen]

@Jan Mayen

For drivers, closing date is 10:00 on Friday 29th August 2025, according to the ASLEF circular I've seen. The circular says at the bottom about notifying the union of any personal information changes, such as address, by a date near the end of July. Perhaps it's that you've seen or heard?

I haven't seen anything, I just assumed it would not take that long to ballot all the drivers. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

At present, it remains action short of a strike, so if you were searching for the word "strike" that is likely to be why you couldn't find anything.

It doesn’t remain “anything”. The original industrial action was cancelled. There is currently no industrial action being taken. That may change in 3 weeks time however….

 

[Starmill]

It doesn’t remain “anything”. The original industrial action was cancelled. There is currently no industrial action being taken. That may change in 3 weeks time however….

The entire point of working to rule is that the ballot isn't a necessary part of the process, though it can be done anyway.

If the compliant ballot hasn't passed, all this means is that the lawful protection for taking industrial action can't be invoked. It isn't needed under these circumstances. It probably won't be relied upon after the compliant ballot does pass, as seems likely, either.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

I can assure you there are certain people banking as much RDW as possible right now in anticipation of walkouts…. No-one I know is working to rule…

 

[Starmill]

The evidence of the journey check page strongly suggests an alternative view.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

I didn’t say everyone was banking RDW. I said certain people.

There are some people - myself included - who never works rest days but I’m not working to rule - I simply like my time off to be just that.

 

[Starmill]

I didn’t say everyone was banking RDW. I said certain people.

There are some people - myself included - who never works rest days but I’m not working to rule - I simply like my time off to be just that.

Indeed so. Same as how, for example, certain people either don't take rest day work under any circumstances at all, or only do under very rare, exceptional ones.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

Agreed. However as the RMT have cancelled the industrial action, you cannot state that it’s still a thing, when it clearly isn’t.

 

[Russel]

So, whatever this is, work to rule, no rest day working etc, etc... do we know what the actual root cause is behind it?

 

[43066]

Interesting that the Managing Director and the Head of Industrial Relations have both come from Amazon, where there's been some disgusting anti-union tactics used.

Drivers have a strike ballot that closes on 29th August.

Indeed. They’ll get a shock if they try and use those tactics on the railway…

So, whatever this is, work to rule, no rest day working etc, etc... do we know what the actual root cause is behind it?

It has been clearly explained above. Management failing to abide by agreements. Not for the first time at that operator.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

The new ballot is being held in relation to this:

BREAKDOWN IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – CROSS COUNTRY

www.rmt.org.uk

 

[Towers]

The new ballot is being held in relation to this:

BREAKDOWN IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – CROSS COUNTRY

www.rmt.org.uk

And also, in a wider RMT circular to all TOCs:

“On Cross Country, an offer which could have been acceptable for presentation to members was agreed between the management side and the RMT but after an adjournment, the offer was withdrawn. This is a serious breach of our usual bargaining arrangements. Cross Country Trains members will also receive a separate update regarding the discussions which have taken place.”

One would assume that was unlikely to have helped matters much.

Interesting that the Managing Director and the Head of Industrial Relations have both come from Amazon, where there's been some disgusting anti-union tactics used.

Drivers have a strike ballot that closes on 29th August, over 'failure to adhere to negotiated agreements'.

Ex Amazon; what an interesting recruitment policy that is!

 

[ValentaFan1974]

The pay dispute is totally separate however it seems that XC are the only ones to have proposed anything in relation to pay at all….

 

[voyagerdude220]

The pay dispute is totally separate however it seems that XC are the only ones to have proposed anything in relation to pay at all….

Have there been any developments into solving the ongoing dispute involving Retail Service Managers guarding the front portion of a double Voyager, in lieu of a second Train Manager?