TSSA announces fresh CrossCountry rail strike in row over pay and conditions

A rail workers’ union has announced a fresh strike over pay, jobs and conditions.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association at CrossCountry will strike on Boxing Day and December 27.

TSSA is demanding a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which addresses the rising cost of living.

The union said it believes the walkouts will severely affect services at CrossCountry, which covers large swathes of the country, from Penzance in Cornwall, to the Midlands, Wales, and northern England through to Scottish cities as far north as Aberdeen.

The action replaces a strike at CrossCountry by TSSA on December 17 which has now been cancelled.

TSSA members work as customer service managers, driver managers and trainers, and in control, customer communications, safety, timetabling and planning.

TSSA organising director Nadine Rae said: “Our members at CrossCountry do not want to strike, especially over the Christmas holiday period, but they are sick and tired of being taken for granted.

“They deserve a pay rise to help manage the escalating cost of living, and they rightly demand job security.

“The company, like all the train operators under the control of the Department for Transport, need to face up to the fact that only serious offers which meet our aspirations will end this dispute.

“Rail workers are seeking basic fair treatment: not to be sacked from their jobs; a fair pay rise in the face of a cost-of-living-crisis; and no race to the bottom on terms and conditions.

“Make no mistake – we will again see trains coming to a halt unless rail bosses and the Government do the right thing for our members and our precious rail network which so many people rely on.”