8 per cent pay deal ends Eurostar strike

A dispute involving workers who clean Eurostar trains ended today when their union announced a pay deal which will see staff earning a minimum rate of £8 an hour by the autumn.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said the deal was worth 8% on basic pay and follows the threat of industrial action by the cleaners, who are employed by contract firm OCS.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "The achievement of RMT's interim target of an £8 per hour minimum on OCS Eurostar is a major breakthrough in the fight for justice for cleaners and has come about through the sheer determination and guts of our members and the hard work of the union branch.

"This result comes just weeks after we secured a 10% increase for cleaners on the West Coast route and shows that fighting, industrial trade unionism can beat the defeatists and win major pay victories even in these days of ConDem austerity."

PA