CHUBB MUST negotiate seriously to tackle low pay, Britain's biggest rail union said on the eve of a weekend of strike action by more than 130 security guards employed on the Eurostar contract.

Security guards at Waterloo International terminal will strike from 08:30 to 10:30 and 17:45 to 19:45 tomorrow, Friday September 9 and on Saturday September 10, and from 06:45 to 08:45 and 18:15 to 20:15 on Sunday September 11.

Their colleagues at Ashford International will strike from 05:30 to 08:00 and 16:30 to 18:00 on Friday and Saturday, and from 08:00 to 10:30 and 16:30 to 18:00 on Sunday.

At North Pole International action will be between 20:00 and 24:000 on all three days.

The RMT executive also agreed today that further strike action would take place over the following weekend, September 16 to 18, as part of a rolling programme of action aimed at winning an acceptable pay deal - see below for details.

"Instead of throwing huge sums of money away in a futile attempt to undermine our action, Chubb should be sitting round the table negotiating with us," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

"The company would do well to remember that our members voted unanimously to strike against low pay and that our membership has increased substantially since the dispute began.

"Recruiting scabs in Hungary, flying them into the country and rushing them through a four-day training course will only underline fears about Chubb's attitude towards the security services they are supposed to be providing.

"And it will only harden our members' resolve to win a just settlement to this dispute," Bob Crow said

ends

Further strike action has been announced for the weekend of September 16-18 as follows:

Waterloo International: Friday September 16, 08:30 to 10:30 and 17:45 to 19:45; Saturday September 17, 08:30 to 10:30 and 17:15 to 19:15; Sunday September 18, 06:45 to 08:45 and 18:15 to 20:15

Ashford International: Friday September 16: 05:30 to 08:00 and 16:30 to 18:00; Saturday September 17, 05:30 to 08:00, and 16:30 to 18:00; Sunday September 18, 08:00 to 10:30 and 16:30 to 18:00

North Pole International: from 20:00 to 24:00 on September 16, 17 and 18.