Wildcat strike at Eurotunnel ends with train traffic set to resume

A wildcat strike at the Eurotunnel came to an end just after 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, French labor unions and French Transport Minister Clement Beaune announced. The unexpected strike stopped all rail traffic between London and mainland Europe, which uses the GetLink-owned tunnel to travel below the English Channel.

Passenger train operator Eurostar uses the tunnel for several routes, including a connection between Amsterdam and London. The company confirmed that the strike led to the cancellation of four trains between the capitals, two in each direction. Eurostar service between Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris was not expected to be affected by the Eurotunnel strike.

It was not yet clear if Eurostar trains to and from Amsterdam would be cancelled on Friday. Passengers whose trains were cancelled on Thursday were given the opportunity to reschedule, or cancel for either a voucher or full refund. Eurostar said it would also email passengers about their options.

Once the strike ended, Beaune wrote on X, "I salute the spirit of responsibility of all those involved." He had been critical of the strike, which came at the start of the Christmas holiday period. "The blocking of the Channel Tunnel is unacceptable. A solution must be found immediately," he wrote at 4 p.m.

Earlier, GetLink claimed labor unions rejected an offer of a one-time bonus of 1,000 euros in negotiations. The unions called for that amount to be tripled, according to AFP. The union demands were due to GetLink's 36 percent revenue over the first three quarters of the year, compared to 2022. That represented an increase to 1.4 billion euros in revenue.