IT'S been revealed that Eurostar is the latest victim of the pandemic and is seeking to save money by cutting working hours, following sharp falls in revenue. The RMT has responded by demanding government support ‘to protect jobs and services that are vital to Britain's economic future’.

The union, which is in talks with the operator, has claimed that Eurostar has set out to reduce its costs by 20 per cent.

RMT senior assistant general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Short-term cuts would have dire long-term consequences. The Eurostar announcement mirrors similar cuts plans coming out of the ferry sector and would have particularly serious implications for the economy of Kent.

‘RMT will be seeking urgent talks with the Government 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.’

Eurostar replied: ‘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.’