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18/08/2004
RMT strike action will not affect services, Eurostar say
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service that links the UK with France and Belgium, has reassured customers that proposed strike action by the RMT "will have no impact at all on passengers".
The rail company was reacting to the RMT's announcement earlier today that its members at Eurostar’s Waterloo and Ashford terminals had backed strike action over pay and grading. The vote was carried by 82 to 37 votes.
The RMT executive will meet to set strike dates later this week – dates which are likely to fall over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Eurostar said that the planned action affected under 10% of its workforce and contingency plans should cover any disruption. Management today slammed the rail union's action as “pointless”.
Paul Charles, Director of Communications for Eurostar, said: “All of our services will be operating normally despite this action as we have made thorough contingency plans. It will be business as usual - in fact, we expect to run eight extra services over the Bank Holiday weekend.”
Mr Charles said that Eurostar check-in staff are paid "at least 50% more than our rival airline competitors".
He added: "If we are such a bad employer, why aren’t our staff leaving us? The TSSA have accepted the package of measures for terminal staff - it’s a pity the RMT doesn’t want to see sense.”
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today said that the company needed to come up with proposals to "end low pay". He called on the company to treat staff equitably across both Eurostar stations. Staff at Ashford are paid £4,000 less than colleagues at Waterloo, Mr Crow claimed.
"This vote signals that our members in the customer- and terminal-services teams are no longer prepared to accept low pay and indefensible pay differentials between people doing identical work in different locations," he said.
Eurostar has said the reason that staff are paid different rates between Waterloo and Ashford was because the jobs are different.
Also, London staff benefit from weighting as the two locations are in two very different parts of the UK. "In fact, we have made an offer to reduce the differential," a company spokesperson added.
(gmcg)
The rail company was reacting to the RMT's announcement earlier today that its members at Eurostar’s Waterloo and Ashford terminals had backed strike action over pay and grading. The vote was carried by 82 to 37 votes.
The RMT executive will meet to set strike dates later this week – dates which are likely to fall over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Eurostar said that the planned action affected under 10% of its workforce and contingency plans should cover any disruption. Management today slammed the rail union's action as “pointless”.
Paul Charles, Director of Communications for Eurostar, said: “All of our services will be operating normally despite this action as we have made thorough contingency plans. It will be business as usual - in fact, we expect to run eight extra services over the Bank Holiday weekend.”
Mr Charles said that Eurostar check-in staff are paid "at least 50% more than our rival airline competitors".
He added: "If we are such a bad employer, why aren’t our staff leaving us? The TSSA have accepted the package of measures for terminal staff - it’s a pity the RMT doesn’t want to see sense.”
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today said that the company needed to come up with proposals to "end low pay". He called on the company to treat staff equitably across both Eurostar stations. Staff at Ashford are paid £4,000 less than colleagues at Waterloo, Mr Crow claimed.
"This vote signals that our members in the customer- and terminal-services teams are no longer prepared to accept low pay and indefensible pay differentials between people doing identical work in different locations," he said.
Eurostar has said the reason that staff are paid different rates between Waterloo and Ashford was because the jobs are different.
Also, London staff benefit from weighting as the two locations are in two very different parts of the UK. "In fact, we have made an offer to reduce the differential," a company spokesperson added.
(gmcg)
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