Eurostar said the action would have 'no impact whatsoever'

Workers from security firm Chubb are taking action on Friday and Saturday in a dispute over pay.

RMT union members are walking out for three-and-a-half hours on each day at different times at the two sites.

Eurostar said the action had no impact on services. Chubb said it had made significant moves to avoid the dispute but the union was being "intractable".

The security firm said the timing of the dispute had neither the best interests of members or the travelling public at heart.

"The union has accused us of 'refusing to budge' and 'failing to negotiate over pay' but that simply isn't the case," a spokesman for Chubb said.

He said the company had signed a recognition agreement, offered a one-off payment of �200 per officer in addition to a 3% increase in basic bay which totalled an increase of 4.25% in 2005.

Chubb also said the RMT was scaremongering about security and said security remained paramount.

'Huge workforce'

On Friday, Eurostar said: "The strike action this morning is having no impact whatsoever."

"Everything is running very smoothly and punctuality is 100%", said a spokesman.

Director of communications Paul Charles said: "Travellers need not worry."

He said the cross-Channel rail operator was fully prepared to carry record numbers during the holiday weekend.

He said Chubb had moved around its huge workforce and brought in security-cleared staff to cover for striking workers.

The cross-Channel rail firm advised travellers not to worry

But the union's assistant general secretary Mick Cash said: "A train dispatcher at Ashford directly employed by Eurostar gets �9.34 an hour, while security guards who do a job of equal value and of equal importance get �6.36 an hour."

And he added that some workers had to work hours "well over the working time directive to make any sort of living wage".

He said: "I am just surprised that Eurostar seems to be suggesting they can offload security and that it is not an integral part of their operation.

"It seems to suggest that the safety of passengers does not have the same sort of importance as other matters."

Workers at Ashford International station were striking from 0700 to 1030 BST on Friday and Saturday, with Waterloo strikes scheduled for 1400 to 1730 on Friday and 0700 to 1030 on Saturday.