Government urged to intervene amid fears for Eurostar jobs

Fears of cuts to Eurostar jobs and services have led union leaders to urge the government to offer it support.

The cross-Channel rail company said it was planning to reduce payroll costs in order to protect its long-term future amid the impact of Covid-19.

A spokesman said it was looking to "introduce reduced hours and part-time working wherever possible" during 2021.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union called on the Transport Secretary to intervene as a matter of urgency.

It said cuts could lead to a 20% reduction in costs, and warned that alongside proposals to axe ferry jobs, it "would have particularly serious implications for the economy of Kent".

Assistant general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Short-term cuts would have dire long-term consequences."

He said the union would be seeking talks "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".

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), added: "Eurostar provides a green strategic link between Britain and our European neighbours. It's absolutely crucial that these services are retained."

A Eurostar spokesman said: "The impact of Covid-19 has led to an unprecedented fall in demand across the travel industry.

"We are taking steps to protect Eurostar for the long term by reducing costs across the business, and are taking a considered approach to reducing our payroll costs, working closely with trade union partners.

"We are looking to introduce reduced hours and part-time working wherever possible throughout 2021 to protect as many jobs as possible and retain the knowledge, skills and experience of our people for the recovery, keeping any potential redundancy to a minimum."