Tube Drivers Vote For Boxing Day Strike

'Overwhelming' support for walkout over triple pay and holidays

Aslef members working for London Underground have voted by a majority of nine to one to take industrial action on Boxing Day over pay and holiday terms.

The dispute centres on the union, which represents most drivers on London’s tube system, demanding triple pay and a day off in lieu for its members working on December 26.

However London Underground bosses say that Boxing Day is ‘an ordinary working day’ and have refused extra money. The union argues that this is patently nonsense and feels that they are legitimately demanding premium rates for working on the day following Christmas Day.

Aslef say said that disruption will be 'extensive and significant' affecting football fans and sale shoppers.

‘I am prepared to discuss this with the company [London Underground] but if they want a meeting they are going to have to have something to put on the table,’ says union’s general secretary Keith Norman.

A Transport for London spokesman told Evening Standard: "It is disgraceful that Aslef should try to hold Londoners and London Underground to ransom in this way. London Underground has a long-standing agreement with all of its trade unions which cover staff working arrangements on bank holidays, and Boxing Day is included in that agreement.

"LU has made every effort to resolve this issue with the Aslef leadership, which has refused to attend talks at Acas to discuss its claim for triple time and a day in lieu for its members."

The walkout is planned between 00:01 and 23:59 on Sunday 26 December 2010.

December 14, 2010