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Strike action being taken by hundreds of Metrolink trams drivers will bring Christmas disruption in Manchester, a union said today. The industrial action, said the union Unite, is set to impact routes to and from the city's Christmas markets.

In a statement released on Friday, Unite said 320 tram drivers working for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited have voted to strike, with walk-outs due to be held next month. An initial two-day period of strike action over a weekend has been pencilled in for early December.

A spokesperson for the union said: "The drivers, members of Unite, work at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in the city and operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.

"This dispute centres around fatigue. Currently, the drivers' shift patterns me

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