CrossCountry train drivers to strike after dispute over disciplinary processes

CrossCountry train drivers will walk out on 3 October and refuse to work non-contractual overtime from 21 September after the Aslef union said the operator has repeatedly failed to follow agreed disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Aslef said the action was called because of the company’s “persistent refusal” to adhere to established guidelines for handling disciplinary proceedings. The union’s district organiser, Andy Hourigan, said the dispute with the operator had been running “for some considerable time.”

The announcement follows industrial unrest at the operator in recent weeks. Members of the RMT union staged a walkout during the August bank holiday weekend, citing allegations that CrossCountry had not honoured agreements on staffing, safety and pay.

CrossCountry, whose network stretches from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff, connects most of the UK’s largest cities, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Manchester. The company said it was disappointed by Aslef’s decision and said it remained committed to reaching an agreement with unions.

Aslef’s refusal to work non-contractual overtime from 21 September will likely reduce available services and staffing flexibility ahead of the planned strike day on 3 October, but the union framed the steps as necessary to enforce agreed workplace procedures. CrossCountry has not indicated whether it will seek to run revised timetables or bring in contingency measures for the planned actions.

The dispute centers on how disciplinary and grievance matters are managed between staff and the operator. Union leaders have argued agreements, arrangements and procedures have been routinely breached, while the company has expressed a desire to continue talks. Both sides have positioned the matter as a negotiation over workplace standards and the application of previously agreed processes.