Just days before Christmas, families worldwide were shocked to learn their gifts may not arrive on time.

Last-minute industrial action was unanimously voted through by ELF (Elvish Labourers Federation), a union comprising 90% of the Christmas workforce. Resentment has been simmering for decades, as rising demands for presents piled pressure on workers.

‘It’s been going on far too long,’ said ELF spokesperson Rimsheef Snucklefidget.

‘Everyone keeps wanting more stuff, and we can’t keep up. This year, we’ve got to build, wrap and ship over three billion presents with only 250 elves. It’s just not sustainable.’

‘Christmas never ends here, and it’s hell,’ he finished.

Injuries were also understood to be common. Earlier this year, a carpenter lost his hand due to a faulty jigsaw puzzle and was advised by his line manager to simply ‘put some ice on it,’ while another incident involving an elf on a shelf resulted in a pain on the brain.

However, the final straw appears to be the looming threat of automation. A leaked email from Santa to technology firm Boston Dynamics explored replacing large parts of his production line with robotic elves, forcing mass redundancies. Despite not being paid, elves rely on their employment for room, board and medical insurance.

‘If we lose our Elf Care plan, we’re good as dead. The only hospital is owned by guess who, and he’s not giving us any gifts,’ read ELF’s X account.

With the strike so close to Christmas, the decision to down tools has been polarising. A survey found consumers were torn between pretending to care about elves rights and job security, and really really wanting that nice stuff.