Last ditch talks in effort to have Eurostar strike called off

Action: Strikers are demonstrating outside St Pancras in the first of four walk-outs planned to hit Eurostar services
Yui Mok/PA

Hopes rose today that strike action on Eurostar which has caused thousands of passengers to change their travel plans could be called-off.

The first of four days of strikes, lasting until close of service on Monday, began today by UK train managers.

Three more walkouts have been ordered over the Bank Holiday weekend of 27-29 August.

As the strike began – with pickets at St Pancras International station – it was announced the RMT, which has ordered the walkouts, and Eurostar management were holding a last-ditch meeting to try and settle the dispute.

A Eurostar spokeswoman said: “We are hopeful of a deal.”

The cross-channel service is staffed by the three operating companies; the UK, France and Belgium. UK train managers accuse their French counterparts of taking all the best shifts in breach of a 2008 agreement.

Mick Cash, the RMT leader, said: “Our Eurostar train manager members are solid, determined and united this morning as they kick off the first phase of strike action in a fight for a decent work/life balance.”

Eurostar told passengers that all those booked to travel this weekend would be able to do so. It has cancelled eight trains out of 220 over the next four days.

The company has contacted holidaymakers and business users scheduled to travel on cancelled trains offering them alternative services or dates.

A second union, the TSSA, has ordered walkouts among its train manager members for four days – this coming Sunday and Monday and then again on the Sunday and Monday of the Bank holiday.

Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan has written to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling repeating his request for a team of senior Transport for London officials to be parachuted into crisis-hit Southern Rail.

The London Mayor stressed that “enough is enough” after commuters have had to endure months of dismal service, compounded by the RMT strike this week.

Mr Khan believes the best way to sort out the problems in the short-term is for a TfL team to be put in temporary control of the franchise.

Southern commuters suffered their fifth successive day of cancellations and delays caused by RMT strike action called in protest over the changing role of the guard.

Five days of strikes scheduled to last all week were suspended late Wednesday but the decision came too late to prevent continued disruption yesterday and today. The company could not get trains and staff rosters back into place to resume services.

Southern said timetables would, on Monday, be back to what they were before the strike began – that, though, is a reduced timetable because of staffing problems.

Peace talks began yesterday at Acas, the conciliation service, and resume today to try and resolve the dispute.

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