Rail union, RMT, has demanded that the UK Government supports train operator Eurostar to protect jobs and train services as the operator announces cuts.
The announcement of cuts come in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis and amount to a 20% reduction in costs, with an impact on jobs and train services.
RMT has entered talks with the objective of protecting jobs across the Eurostar operation.
The rail union however, has warned that the planned cuts, along with proposals to decimate ferry jobs, would hit Kent, and stations at Ebbsfleet and Ashford hard, and the union has called on Grant Shapps to intervene with a matter of urgency.
RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary, Mick Lynch said; “RMT is demanding Government support to protect Eurostar jobs and services from the fall out of the COVID-19 pandemic and to recognise the long term importance to the British economy of these cross-channel transport services as we look to the future. Short-term cuts would have dire long-term consequences.
“The Eurostar announcement mirrors similar cuts plans coming out of the ferry sector and would have particularly serious implications for the economy of Kent.
“RMT will be seeking urgent talks with the Government to stop this cull of jobs and services which would leave Britain ill-equipped to kick-start the economy with cross-channel tourism and trade.”
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Typical Mick Lynch demands. The man is a waster, Eurostar made enough money when things were going their way, now let them struggle like other company’s are.
Eurostar could expand their services even further to other Europe countries and cities including Luxembourg, Berlin, Ghent, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Bern, Zurich, Madrid, Barcelona, Porto, Lisbon and Andorra. As they have enough rolling stocks that can operate across Europe. And perhaps if they want to expand more of their services then so order more E320 Class 374s.
The RMT “demand” that the government (i.e. us) step in with support for Eurostar, when typically they will ridicule and obstruct that same government anyway that they can. Typical two faced union thinking.