Same sex partners of
Eurotunnel workers will from today be entitled to the same concessionary travel
as heterosexual partners.
Until now only staff and their
spouses or common-law partners have been able to make use of the £1 cost for a single
crossing between Folkestone and Calais.
The Transport and General Workers’
Union, who represent 1,300 staff at Eurotunnel, negotiated the equal rights.
Couples need to have lived together
for three years and to have signed an affidavit to confirm their partner status
in order to qualify for travel concessions.
Graham Murfet, T&G regional
officer, said, "This agreement is a victory for equal rights and
represents the success of a partnership approach with a progressive thinking
company. Our T&G reps were the first to raise this issue and have seen the
negotiations through the finer detail and into practice."
