RAIL UNION RMT today confirmed a further six days of strike action by Eurostar cleaners working at St Pancras International for contractors the Carlisle Group in an increasingly bitter dispute over pay, the introduction of routine staff fingerprinting, redundancies and the victimisation and harassment of RMT union reps.

RMT Eurostar cleaners will strike on the following dates:

05:30 hours on Friday 2nd October 2009 and 05:29 hours on Saturday 3rd October 2009. 05:30 hours on Sunday 4th October 2009 and 05:29 hours on Monday 5th October 2009. 05:30 hours on Friday 16th October 2009 and 05:29 hours on Saturday 17th October 2009. 05:30 hours on Sunday 18th October 2009 and 05:29 hours on Monday 19th October 2009. 05:30 hours on Friday 30th October 2009 and 05:29 hours on Saturday 31st October 2009. 05:30 hours on Sunday 1st November 2009 and 05:29 hours on Monday 2nd November 2009 RMT have launched a global campaign in support of the London Eurostar cleaners and their fight for the London Living Wage and against bullying and harassment. So far over 3000 people from over 70 countries around the world have joined the cyber-picket.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said today:

“The treatment of cleaners on the Eurostar, our flagship European rail service, is nothing short of a national disgrace. We have demanded that the government, as the effective owners of Eurostar, step in to stop this scandalous exploitation of cleaners at St Pancras International who are fighting for nothing more than the London Living Wage, dignity and respect at work and the right to organise an effective trade union.”