Britain's biggest rail union, RMT, slammed today's news that the European Commission has approved the use of £5.2 billion of tax payers money to fragment and fatten-up Eurostar, Britain's last remaining publicly owned railway, for privatisation. RMT have pledged to fight the plans.
The British end of Eurostar is run by the Government-owned holding company London and Continental Railways which built the high-speed link between London and the Channel tunnel. The £5.2 billion of taxpayers cash will be used to pay off debts and split up London and Continental into its transport and infrastructure activities prior to sell off. London and Continental also owns some of Britain's most valuable development land.
Germany's Deutsche Bahn have been touted as possible buyers of Eurostar UK.
Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said today:
"It is scandal that in the middle of the worst recession since the second world war, the European Commission have stepped in to give the green light for £5.2 billion of tax payers money to be poured in to prepare the British end of Eurostar for privatisation.
"This is an asset giveaway on a massive scale and RMT will be fighting these proposals all the way.
"We have seen once again today that the EU is dominated by the power of the bankers and big business and that they are pushing on with their plans to privatise the last remaining publicly owned services from our hospitals to our railways," Bob Crow said.
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