The first of four Eurostar strikes by staff from two unions is underway.
Members of the RMT are to go on strike from August 12 to 15 and 27 to 29 while the TSSA staff plan to strike on August 14 and 15, and 28 and 29.
The RMT says the dispute is about ‘unsocial hours’ and duty rosters for 80 train managers. It further claims that Eurostar has failed to honour an agreement from 2008.
Eurostar has made changes to its Friday timetable to ensure ‘all passengers’ will be able to travel. Two services have been cancelled.
‘We are aware of the plans for strike action and our focus has been seeking a joint resolution whilst planning to provide a good service for our customers,’ said a spokesman.
The cancelled services on Friday are the 08:04 service from London to Brussels, and the 12:52 from Brussels to London.
‘If booked to travel on one of these trains you will have been contacted offering the option to exchange for another train on Friday 12th or to an alternative date,’ Eurostar have said.
Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, said the strikes ‘feel like an excuse to be militant’.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash says, however, that ‘our train manager members are sick and tired of the company’s failure to honour agreements.’
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