Christmas tram strike in Nottingham called off by union ahead of festive season

Staff members on Nottingham's tram network will not be striking over Christmas despite the action being considered following the suspension of an employee. In recent weeks balloting has taken place, where drivers and ticketing staff have shared whether they wanted to go ahead with the industrial action.

It is not clear why the anonymous staff member was suspended, but GMB has previously stated it happened just days after the planned strike action over Goose Fair was called off. Last month, the trade union body described it as the "victimisation of a union rep for doing nothing more than standing up for their members".

It is now understood that the potential strikes planned in revolt against this suspension will not be taking place after the representative returned to work. It has been reported by the BBC that almost 90 per cent of the workers voted for strike action, which would have taken place during one of the busiest Christmas shopping periods in the city.

The Christmas strike action, which was set to involve around 300 workers, has been suspended whilst the tram network and the GMB Union work together for changes. Industrial action, also involving hundreds of GMB members, had been planned for the 10 days of Goose Fair.

But the strike action was called off at the 11th hour in time for the first Saturday of the fair on September 28. The union had been in a dispute with Nottingham's tram operator over pay for staff, with GMB claiming that the offer to its members was not adequate amid the cost of living crisis.