ARRIVA Trains Wales drivers are set to strike for 24 hours next month as part of a dispute over pay and working conditions.

Members of the union ASLEF will walk out on 4th January, the day on which many people return to work after the Christmas period. Drivers voted overwhelmingly for strike action, with 81.7 per cent of members voting for the strike.

ASLEF’s executive committee said: “The general secretary be instructed to advise the HR Director of Arriva Trains Wales that their failure to make an acceptable 2015 pay offer is not acceptable. Further, the general secretary be instructed to advise the HR Director, Arriva Trains Wales,that all our driver members employed by Arriva Trains Wales will be withdrawing their labour from 00.01 to 23:59 on the 4th January 2016.

“Further, the general secretary be instructed to advise the HR Director, Arriva Trains Wales, that all our members employed by Arriva Trains Wales will not work non contractual overtime from 00:01 hrs on Monday 28th December 2015 until further notice.”

In November, Arriva and ASLEF came to an agreement, and previously planned industrial action was cancelled. However, the union states that the train company “shifted the goalposts,” leading to the re-ballot.

General Secretary of ASLEF, Mick Whelan commented, “After arriving at a deal with Arriva Trains Wales that we were happy to put to our members, the operator has subsequently shifted the goalposts by changing the length of shifts our members are expected to do.”