Eurostar workers set to strike for seven days this month including the Bank Holiday weekend
More than 160,000 used Eurostar during Bank Holiday weekend last year as action set to spark travel chaos for holidaymakers
HOLIDAYMAKERS face travel chaos after Eurostar staff announced seven days of strike action this month.
RMT union members will walk out from midnight tomorrow until midnight on Monday.
A second strike is planned for three days from August 27 over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Eurostar workers are unhappy with the work/life balance offered to employees.
They claim a pledge by bosses to improve working conditions in 2008 was not honoured.
RMT 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."
Eurostar Bank Holiday strike: Dates of staff walkout
Friday 12 August, 00.01am – Monday 15 August, 11.59pm
Saturday 27 August – Monday 29 August
A Eurostar spokesperson 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.
"We have made some small changes to our timetable to ensure that all passengers booked to travel will be able to. Passengers affected will be notified in advance.”
Last year more than 160,000 people used Eurostar over the August Bank Holiday alone.
The line connects London St Pancras with Brussels and Paris.
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The RMT is currently involved in disputes with Southern railway over conductor jobs and Virgin Trains East Coast over safety and jobs.
Up to 300,000 Southern rail commuters face a week of cancellations, delays and overcrowded trains during a five-day walkout.
The union's members called for "war" as the longest rail strike for 46 years kicked in.
More than 40 per cent of Southern’s service is hit by the strike with 946 trains cancelled on Monday.
Some parts of Surrey, Sussex and Kent have been left with no trains all week and other routes are shut after 6pm.
Those trains that are running will be even more packed than usual, passengers were warned.
Adrian Best, 45, an architect from Eastbourne who was travelling to London, said: “It was total carnage. The worst thing was there was a lack of information about what services would be running.
“It took me three hours to make an hour-long journey. I got into work at 11am. It’s going to be the same all week. I don’t think I can face it.”
Meanwhile, Virgin East Coast staff voted to strike yesterday in a dispute over job cuts and working conditions.
Cities likely to be affected include London, Hull, Inverness and Aberdeen.
Cash said: "RMT will not sit back while nearly 200 members' jobs are under threat and also conditions and safety are put at risk."
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