London Underground (LU) drivers are set to walk out on Boxing Day in a row over Christmas holiday pay, the trade union Aslef has announced.

The union says that Tube drivers need “substantial incentives” to volunteer to work over the festive season, and have called for triple pay and a day off in lieu for doing so.

A ballot of Aslef’s 2,200 drivers returned a result of 92 per cent in favour of strike action over the issue, with walkouts planned for December 26th, January 16th, February 3rd, and February 13th.

“The whole dispute has been about seeking equitable quality time off for our members, but recognising those who do operate the service may need to be incentivised,” said Aslef.

But LU called the pay demand “outrageous” and claimed it was in breach of current union-backed working arrangements.

The organisation pointed to an agreement signed in 1992 by all trade unions representing Tube employees, including Aslef, which saw operational staff receive higher salaries and increased annual leave entitlements in exchange for working on some public holidays.

LU said that a claim for extra pay from Aslef last year had led to detailed discussions and a review of the network’s service levels on Boxing Day to “match more closely with customer demand”. As a result it had reduced the number of train staff required to work to pre-2010 levels, with only a quarter of the Tube’s 3,500 drivers needed to run the service, the organisation added.

The employer insisted only 42 per cent of the drivers balloted by Aslef had voted for a stoppage, and urged the union to abandon its “disgraceful” call for industrial action and return to the negotiating table.

Howard Collins, LU's chief operating officer, said: “The threat of strike action will not achieve anything and I urge Aslef to join us in our commitment to resolve this matter through discussions.

“LU has a long-standing agreement with all of its trade unions which cover staff working arrangements on bank holidays, and Boxing Day is included in that agreement,” he explained. “However, we have shown good faith in reviewing Boxing Day services so that staffing requirements are lower than when Aslef raised this matter last year, and Aslef should do the same.”

The strike news will come as a disappointment for London retailers hoping to boost a fragile trading year with Boxing Day sales in the capital.

Passengers across the country will also be hit by increased disruption to train services over the holiday period. Some operating companies have revealed that they will halt services on Christmas Eve, resuming only on Tuesday 27 with a bank holiday timetable.