Christmas travel chaos threat as 4 days of rail strikes announced

Rail workers will be striking over staffing shortages, pay disputes and ‘broken commitments’ December could see rail travellers facing chaos as a series of train strikes have been announced throughout December. The RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) Union announced on November 21 that its CrossCountry members will walk out over pay and staffing disputes on multiple Saturdays next month. According to the union, this comes after a proposal by the rail company was described as “worse than what was already on the table”. CrossCountry serves over 100 stations across the UK and is based in Birmingham, reports Manchester Evening News. The network connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities, including Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, with more than 42 million passengers every weekday. Workers on Cross Country services are striking over long-running disputes over pay, staffing and “broken commitments” according to the RMT union. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Cross Country has not dealt with the core issues in this dispute and has come back with a proposal that is worse than what was already on the table. “Our members are still facing unresolved staffing shortages, unfair pay outcomes and broken commitments. “RMT members have been left with no choice but to take strike action. The company must return with a serious offer that meets the commitments it has already made and treats our members with the fairness and respect they deserve.” Shiona Rolfe, managing director at CrossCountry, said: “We are disappointed for our customers that the RMT has announced further industrial action. We’ve worked hard to make a fair and reasonable offer that addresses the key points raised in this dispute, and we’ve made meaningful progress in negotiations. “Our priority remains reaching an agreement that avoids disruption for passengers in the busy Christmas period, and we are ready to continue talks at any time.” CrossCountry has not yet confirmed how the strike will impact services, but it has been reported that trains will be cancelled and a limited timetable will be running. Other train services will also be disrupted over the festive period due to essential engineering works across Network Rail, so passengers are advised to check their journey ahead of time. List of December dates impacted by strikes The strikes will happen on Saturday’s throughout December, but will not take place on any Christmas public holidays. The CrossCountry industrial dates are:.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/christmas-travel-chaos-threat-4-36290883