The Rail Maritime and Transport Union is threatening disruption for passengers on Northern Rail trains over the Royal Wedding bank holiday. The union said rail bosses will have to start coming to terms with the fact that employees are dissatisfied with not being awarded double pay on extra bank holidays.

A walk out by conductors on Sunday and Monday caused disruption on services across Yorkshire and was heavily criticised. The current agreement between Northern Rail and the RMT was made a number of years ago and saw conductors deciding they would give up double pay on bank holidays in return for more leave and a salary raise.

However, the RMT says that this agreement does not include special bank holidays like the one scheduled for the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. RMT executive Craig Johnston said the union was not prepared to sit back and accept Northern Rail’s position. He pointed out that if it was to do so then the same situation of not being compensated for working on extra holidays would crop up at the Royal Wedding and again next Christmas.

He went on to say that further industrial action could not be ruled out, but was keen to add that the RMT would first ask its members how they wished to proceed.

Northern Rail’s managing director, Ian Bevan, said he was disappointed the strike went ahead recently adding that the company was honouring all the agreements it had in place with its workers. He went on to say that he was available for talks with union bosses.