UK holidaymakers face misery as Eurostar train managers back strike action in 'victimisation' row

Thousands of tourists and commuters travelling to and from the continent during the Easter holidays could be hit with disruption as the Eurostar faces strike action. Train managers on the high-speed railway, which connects London to France and Belgium, overwhelmingly voted for a walkout in an alleged "victimisation" row.

The St Pancras members are represented by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT). A spokesman for the union told IBTimes UK that no date for a strike had been announced since the union is still in talks with Eurostar bosses. The ballot result comes more than a week before the Easter weekend, starting on 25 March.

"Since the ballot opened Eurostar have taken the issues that have been raised by the union seriously and intensive and positive discussions have been ongoing. The union's executive will be receiving a report from those talks when it considers the matter further," said Mick Cash, the general secretary of the RMT.

The union said 54 train managers placed a vote in the strike ballot, with the vast majority (51) backing a walkout and only three workers opposing the action. The dispute is apparently over Eurostar's decision to charge an RMT activist and Company Council Union Representative with gross misconduct.

"The woman being picked on is a train manager and long serving, loyal member of staff who objected to an instruction to crew a Eurostar service which would have required her to work a section of the route alone," the RMT alleged.

Eurostar had not responded to a request for comment from IBTimes UK at the time of publication.