A legal bid to prevent Tube drivers from walking out for at least 24 hours on Monday, Boxing Day, as the result of a pay row, is set to be heard today in the High Court.

In a statement, London Underground, or LU, said that just 42 per cent of Aslef union’s members voted in favour of going on strike, which is why LU will challenge the strike’s validity. Aslef said that the drivers it has on its books would like triple-pay, as well as a day off in lieu, as they are being forced to work on 26 December – which is a bank holiday.

Additionally, the union plans to go on strike again roughly three weeks later on the 16 January and will also take action in February. In 2010, drivers walked out on Boxing Day over the pay they would have received for having to work over the festive period.

This morning, an Aslef spokesman said that the union doesn’t expect a successful challenge from LU and that any court action will do nothing other than increase already ill-feeling. When asked to describe the threat of the strike, LU’s chief operating officer, Howard Collins, branded it disgusting and added that the firm has long-standing agreements with every one of the trade unions it deals with in relation to working arrangements on UK public holidays.