Rail workers at CrossCountry are set to begin a long-running period of industrial action next month, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will commence an overtime ban and refuse rest day working between Monday 9 June and Friday 25 October 2025, excluding Sundays.
The dispute centres on CrossCountry’s refusal to enter discussions regarding improvements to overtime and rest day pay for all grades, despite earlier commitments made to the union. According to the RMT, the company has failed to uphold previously agreed positions on enhanced payments, prompting the union to act.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey stated that members were left with no alternative after the company’s unwillingness to engage constructively.
“CrossCountry is trying to wriggle out of agreements and block fair pay for our members. We will not accept that and our members have been left with no choice but to take industrial action,” he said.
Dempsey added that staff deserve fair compensation for the work they carry out and called on both the operator and the Department for Transport (DfT) to return to the table for meaningful negotiations.
The action will affect all grades represented by the RMT at CrossCountry, potentially impacting rostering and service provision across the operator’s long-distance network. While Sundays are excluded from the action, the extended timeframe of over four months reflects the seriousness of the dispute.
CrossCountry has not publicly responded to the union’s latest announcement at the time of publication.
