I can see this becoming an argument. But Boxing Day is my main point here (delving into another thread, I know). The need is there for a Boxing day train service, as has been proven above. I don't see why train drivers feel the need to have that day off, but maybe that's just my view. I'm sure you can piece more evidence together for this "railway holiday" than I can, but my opinion is that a Boxing Day Service should be operated across the network where there is demand, which by the looks of things is on many non-operational-for-26/12 routes.
You are talking to someone who's TOC DID provide a service on Boxing Day
You are also talking to someone who hasn't said that train staff SHOULDN'T work Boxing Day.
However, you are also talking to someone who is of the opinion that Christmas is nothing more than a waste of time now people are talking about everything being open on Boxing Day and stores are starting sales online on Christmas Day to get around trading legislation.
I do have to question where this demand is apart from people going to sales like vultures. Having being brought up in a traditional way, Boxing Day was spend visiting family and all the usual stuff so why would you want to use a train on Boxing Day? If the demand was coming from people needing trains to go to work then thats a different story and I do agree that Gatwick, Luton, Stansted etc should have some sort of train service but I just cannot find any other reason for there needing to be a Boxing Day service. I would also like to point out that to get Boxing Day and Christmas Day off I have to use two days annual leave. Its not something that is just given to us, we have to use it out of our holiday whether a train runs or not.
If I was asked to work Boxing Day then I would be rather upset that it had come to this but providing that I was given the sort of enhanced pay that all the rest of the industries get then I would have no choice because I get no bank holidays off and of course my annual leave could be refused
And, to answer your last question. I can put doctors and Train Drivers into the same bracket. Both can save lives. I'm sure many train drivers are trained in Basic CPR
There are trained first aiders in supermarkets but if you use the same arguement then that means you put first aiders in a supermarket into the same bracket as a doctor who can perform a heart bypass for example