CrossCountry Train strike: Emergency talks

Union officials are to meet rail firm CrossCountry ahead of strike action planned for Friday in a dispute over “unfair treatment of staff”.

The company, which serves destinations across the UK from its base in Birmingham, called the proposed industrial action “regrettable”.

Members of the RMT union voted for the 24-hour stoppage, with 177 of 335 members in favour of a strike.

The strike will include train managers, senior conductors and catering staff.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said the ballot had been held after “the total collapse of industrial relations across a whole raft of matters”.

The company is not yet advising customers to change their travel arrangements.

The really useful service organisation, Tourism Intelligence Scotland, has today launched a new guide to sailing tourism: Sailing Tourism Guide.
This is the eighth guide in TIS’s Opportunities for Growth series.

The Sailing Tourism Guide carries the following chapters:

• Key Facts about sailing tourism.
• Who are our sailing visitors?
• Opportunities for tourism businesses.
• Opportunities for sailing businesses.
• Links and resources.
• Next steps for Scotland.

Read more »

The west coast of Scotland offers fantastic sailing with millionaire views at affordable prices. Rope-pulling is optional, but everyone enjoys mooring up for fresh, locally caught seafood

You can emulate at home our first night in west Scotland‘s waters, as the waves lapped on the aft cabin of our boat: simply lie on the floor and ask a friend to drop a sack of potatoes next to you, over and over. For effect, add in a mild whisky hangover and get a neighbour to wake you at 8am playing the bagpipes.