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20/08/2004
RMT strike will have no affect on services, says Eurostar
Impending strike action by RMT union members planned for August 28 will have "no affect on services", Eurostar management have reiterated.
In a move designed to reassure holidaymakers who may seek rail as an alternative to reaching the continent after unions at BA pledged Bank Holiday weekend strikes, Eurostar said that action planned for Saturday August 28 would involve "only a small number of customer services staff and will have no impact on passengers or services".
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service that links the UK with France and Belgium, said it had put in place contingency plans and is running an extra eight trains to Paris and Brussels over the Bank Holiday weekend to meet passenger demand.
Paul Charles, Director of Communications for Eurostar, said: "The RMT have chosen the Bank Holiday period to try and cause maximum disruption but, for Eurostar and its passengers, it’s business as usual. Travellers are fed up with the RMT’s attempts to disrupt their holiday plans."
He added: "A second union, the TSSA, have accepted our improved package of measures for terminal staff in Ashford and Waterloo. The RMT seems more intent on disruption rather than discussion, even though the door to talks has always and will always remain open."
Earlier this week, RMT members at Eurostar’s Waterloo and Ashford terminals, protesting over pay and grading, backed strike action by 82 votes to 37.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said on Wednesday that Eurostar needed to come up with proposals to "end low pay". He called on the company to treat staff equitably across both Eurostar stations - as staff at Ashford are paid less than colleagues at Waterloo.
"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.
(gmcg)
In a move designed to reassure holidaymakers who may seek rail as an alternative to reaching the continent after unions at BA pledged Bank Holiday weekend strikes, Eurostar said that action planned for Saturday August 28 would involve "only a small number of customer services staff and will have no impact on passengers or services".
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service that links the UK with France and Belgium, said it had put in place contingency plans and is running an extra eight trains to Paris and Brussels over the Bank Holiday weekend to meet passenger demand.
Paul Charles, Director of Communications for Eurostar, said: "The RMT have chosen the Bank Holiday period to try and cause maximum disruption but, for Eurostar and its passengers, it’s business as usual. Travellers are fed up with the RMT’s attempts to disrupt their holiday plans."
He added: "A second union, the TSSA, have accepted our improved package of measures for terminal staff in Ashford and Waterloo. The RMT seems more intent on disruption rather than discussion, even though the door to talks has always and will always remain open."
Earlier this week, RMT members at Eurostar’s Waterloo and Ashford terminals, protesting over pay and grading, backed strike action by 82 votes to 37.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said on Wednesday that Eurostar needed to come up with proposals to "end low pay". He called on the company to treat staff equitably across both Eurostar stations - as staff at Ashford are paid less than colleagues at Waterloo.
"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.
(gmcg)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Continuing cloudy through the evening with further outbreaks of rain, the rain turning lighter and patchier from the south as the night progresses. Winds remain light. Minimum temperature 8 °C.
