Central Train's conductors will strike on three days over the festive period in a dispute over rotas and pay.

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Rosters are often a bone of contention. The types worked certainly eat into your home and social life. At least they have been offered higher rates of pay for those times. Some of us work for the same rate of pay irrespective of the number of hours worked and the time worked. It becomes a bit catch 22 really. You know when you take the job on it will not necessarily be conducive to a home/social life such as that enjoyed by your family/friends who work Monday to Friday normalish hours. You also find that there are times such as Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve when friends/family are being together you are having to work. I seem to remember two Christmasses ago that I was rostered the latest finishing job. Central Trains had closed earlier that night and so my options were looking like being a taxi, at premium rates because it is Christmas Eve and the rate would be extremely variable. One taxi company charges £50 normal hours to cover the distance and outside of those hours £70. I suspect Christmas Eve would attract higher rates. Thankfully the person I was working with played Santa, phoned his wife and said he was going to drop me off on his way home. This took him 20 minutes out of his way, but was really appreciated. So, I can appreciate the situation from both the perspective of the staff rostered to work and that of the passenger.