Catering staff employed on Northern Rail services between Carlisle and Settle are to take strike action today in a continuing row over compulsory redundancies.

The 24-hour strike, called by transport union RMT, will run until midnight.

RMT members and their supporters will be at Appleby in Westmorland from 8.45am-10am and Settle from 11am-3pm today.

Pickets will be handing out coffee and Christmas cake to passengers and leaflets explaining the dispute — making it clear that the strike is not aimed at hurting passengers but to stand in solidarity with a colleague who, the union believes, has been unfairly declared redundant.

The union argues that the employer, the Settle and Carlisle Railway Development Company, is doing well financially and that therefore there is no economic justification for the redundancy situation.

Meetings earlier this week failed to resolve the issue and RMT has vowed that the dispute will continue if the “arrogant and belligerent attitude from management” doesn’t change.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “The last thing we expected on the historic Settle/Carlisle rail line was a compulsory redundancy situation — it seems the company’s actions are at odds with their stated objectives, leading them into a regrettable and wholly avoidable dispute with Britain’s biggest rail union. This is a kick in the teeth for loyal and hard-working staff who have fought to save and develop this well-loved service.”

The company has sited potential rail franchise changes in 2016 as the reason for the compulsory redundancy, but the union has pointed out that the specifications for the rail franchises are still not known and the franchises will not be let for some time.