CrossCountry Trains – Industrial action ballot

From Tracy Wines - TSSA CrossCountry Organiser

A ballot for industrial action, both action short of a strike and strike action, will open for Stakeholder Liaison Managers and Internal Communications Advisor posts ONLY on Monday 12 July.

Our members have been left with no option but to be balloted for industrial action due to the Company’s failure to engage in meaningful negotiations about the introduction of on-call working.

We have written to the Company and spoke to senior managers several times offering them to meet with us to try and resolve this issue, but they have refused or are unwilling.

On-call working is widely used through-out the rail industry, but no-where do employees undertake this duty for free. Never in all my 19-years as a TSSA full time officer have I come across an employer who wants to introduce on-call working, but, at the same time is not prepared to pay for it!

Our members are only asking for reasonable recompense for an additional duty, yet CrossCountry Trains have refused to pay up.

TSSA is concerned and outraged by the way in which CrossCountry has chosen to treat its loyal staff, our members. It may only be a matter of time before they want to force on-call working or other substantial additional duties onto you with no payment or recompense.

It must also be noted that CrossCountry trains has served our members with notice on their current contracts and intend to force new contracts of employment onto them which includes on-call working, this does not represent a decent or honest employer.

We must send a strong united message to the Company that this treatment will not be tolerated. I would ask you to speak to your colleagues and advise them of what is happening to your colleagues and ask them to join if they are not already members.

ONLY members in the above fore-mentioned grades will be eligible to vote and take part in any industrial action.

If you or someone you know is also being forced to undertake additional duties with no recompense or meaningful consultation and or negotiation, then get in touch asap, we must stamp out this behaviour.