Tram staff are angry at late finishing times

Members of the GMB union voted 77% in favour of industrial action after the dispute with Nottingham Express Transit over what time services will stop.

They had been told to work late into the night on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve despite buses and trains stopping much before that.

An earlier improved pay offer for the extra hours was rejected.

Family occasion

In some cases staff were told they would have to work until midnight.

The GMB union says that would be unfair as all other trains and buses in the city will wind down services at about 2000 GMT.

A number of offers, including the improved pay offer, were put to workers but they were all rejected.

Martin Alan from the GMB said: "The members have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

"Our members week in, week out, work till ten past one in the morning, what we put forward to the management for working Christmas Eve and New Year is that we would finish working at 8 o'clock."

He said they hoped the situation could be resolved and industrial action was a last resort.

"Our members have voted that they want to spend more time with their family and they don't want to be working it," he said.

The tram operator will be meeting with the union on Monday to try and avert the action which is happening on the tram's first Christmas in Nottingham.