The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union said more than 550 senior conductors at the company, which runs services throughout the Midlands, will walk out for 24 hours on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and again on New Year's Day.

The workers voted heavily in favour of industrial action over pay arrangements for working during the festive period and over new rosters which the union said had been imposed without agreement.

General secretary Bob Crow accused the company of trying to "ride roughshod" over the workers by introducing a new rostering system without agreement.

See also:

Conductors to strike at Central Trains over rostering and seasonal pay

RMT: December 8 2006

MORE THAN 550 senior conductors at Central Trains are to strike on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in disputes over the imposition of centralised rostering and arrangements for Christmas and New Year payments, Britain’s biggest rail union said today.

RMT conductors at Central voted by 231 to 37, a margin of more than six to one, to strike over the imposition of centralised rostering, and by 177 to 68 to take action over the company's attempt to give conductors a worse Christmas-working deal than other staff.

"Central Trains are attempting to ride roughshod over its workforce by introducing a centralised rostering system without agreement," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

"This plan will have a massive impact on our members' working lives, because it will become virtually impossible for them to move annual leave, swap shifts or arrange for Sunday and rest-day availability.

"Our members' massive vote for action on this issue should tell the company all they need to know about their plan

"Central should not be surprised that our members have also voted to strike over their attempt to treat conducters less favourably than other staff.

"The company can hardly expect our members to give up their Christmas and New Year if they know they are being treated as second-class employees.

"The solutions to both these disputes lie in the hands of Central Trains, but we have made it clear that unless there is agreement our members will strike for 24 hours from 00:01 on December 24, December 31 and January 1," Bob Crow said.