A wildcat strike shuts down English Channel rail services, causing misery for Christmas travelers

PARIS (AP) — The train company Eurostar canceled all services to and from London starting at noon Thursday and “until further notice” due to a wildcat strike by staff at Eurotunnel, which links Britain and the European continent.

The unannounced strike triggered by what Eurotunnel staff said was an insufficient bonus caused outrage and disarray in train stations as travelers on both sides of the English Channel tried to join families and friends for the Christmas holidays.

French Transport Minister Clement Beaune called the stoppage “unacceptable.”

“A solution must be found immediately,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

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“We are closely monitoring the situation as it evolves and, our teams are currently working to minimize the impact on our customers,” a brief statement from Eurostar said. “Customers affected will receive direct communication about their journey and can exchange their tickets free of charge or claim a refund.”

Eurostar and Eurotunnel are two separate companies.

Union representatives at Eurotunnel’s French site rejected a 1,000-euro ($1,100) end-of-year bonus, and went on strike to press a demand to have it tripled, Eurotunnel said. That “has resulted in the complete interruption of service and the closure of our terminals in France and the UK,” the Eurotunnel statement said.

It said the company was “working to restore the situation” via “constant contact” with unions.

Tim Kelsey, of Oxford, was among victims of the strike, stranded at Paris’ Gare du Nord train station.

“We learned about the strike here, when we arrived here at the station. It’s an outrage, being stuck here this close to Christmas,” he said. “What are the strikers thinking about?” He bemoaned the lack of any offer of accommodations in Paris.

“No trains available today or tomorrow. How am I going to get home to my children?” Kelsey asked. “It’s going to be a lonely Christmas on the streets of Paris.”

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Oleg Cetinic in Paris contributed.