Eurostar strike: When, why and what does it mean for passengers?

St Pancras station staff will strike for 24 hours on Saturday, but Eurostar say that trains will run as normal

RMT members are striking over "service meltdown and shocking working conditions" (iStock)

Eurostar staff based at St Pancras are due to strike this Saturday 28 July in a dispute over working conditions.

Around 140 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union based at the London terminal will strike for 24 hours in a row over working conditions.

A spokesperson for Eurostar told The Independent that they plan to run a normal service during the strike, however.

Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s industrial action.

When is the strike taking place?

Station-based staff at St Pancras Eurostar terminal will strike for 24 hours on Saturday 28 July.

Members of the RMT union will cease work in the early hours of Saturday, downing tools from 12.01am

The strike will end at 11.59pm on the same day.

Why are staff walking out?

According to the RMT, Eurostar staff are striking over “service meltdown and shocking working conditions resulting from repeated service failures and breakdowns.”

In a statement, the RMT stated that the international terminal at St Pancras had “been reduced to chaos, with staff left to bear the brunt of public anger, following a spate of service problems that have dumped thousands of passengers on the cramped concourse at St Pancras as the season heads towards its summer peak.”

‎RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash said: “The conditions at St Pancras have been simply appalling in recent weeks with dangerous levels of overcrowding on the concourse as services plunge into meltdown on the cusp of the busiest part of the year. RMT will not tolerate a position where our members are left to pick up the pieces due to corporate failures.

“RMT is escalating this dispute with a ballot of train managers and it is now time for Eurostar to get their heads out of the sand, recognise the seriousness of the current situation and come forward with proposals that address the issues our members have been raising with them.”

Speaking to The Independent, a spokesperson for Eurostar says, “We are disappointed to hear that the RMT plans to continue with strike action on Saturday as we were keen to find a joint resolution.”

Will my journey be affected?

Despite the strike, trains are expected to run as scheduled. Eurostar tells The Independent: “Our plan is to run a normal service so that all passengers booked to travel with Eurostar will be able to do so.”

For more information, click here for the Eurostar website.