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Eurostar Workers To Strike Over Summer Holiday

10/08/2016

Eurostar rail workers will strike over two weekends in August in a dispute over work and life balance, the RMT union has said.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out from 0.01am on Friday 12 August until 11.59pm on Monday 14 August, and for three days over the Bank Holiday weekend from 27 August.

The union said the dispute centres around Eurostar's failure to honour an agreement from 2008 which ensured a good work/life balance for train managers, specifically regarding unsocial hours and duty rosters.

Members voted in favour of strike action, claiming that balance had been "repeatedly undermined".

General Secretary Mick Cash said: "Our train manager members at Eurostar have a heavy commitment to shift work and unsocial hours and are sick and tired of the company's failure to honour agreements.

"Our members have every right to have a fair work/life balance that fulfils the operational needs of the company while guaranteeing quality time off for friends and family.

"It's now time for Eurostar to come to the negotiating table with a set of proposals that honours our agreements and guarantees our members a genuine work/life balance."

Around 80 train managers are involved in the dispute.

It is the third dispute to hit the train network after RMT members on Southern Railway went on strike this week over the role of conductors, and workers on Virgin East Coast also voted to strike.

A spokesman for Eurostar said: "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.

 

"On the days of the strike we have made some small changes to our timetable to ensure that all passengers booked to travel will be able to on those days. Passengers affected will be notified in advance."

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