French drivers warn: the blockade is back
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by David Craik • Barring an eleventh-hour solution, French truck drivers will begin blocking roads again at midnight on 2 November for an unlimited period.
As CM went to press on Tuesday (28 October), last-ditch meetings were being held between French drivers and owners and between UK Transport Minister Gavin Strang and his French counterpart to discuss compensation claims and the latest strike action.
French drivers are fighting for the pay rise, improved pensions and bonus payments promised at the end of last year's strikes which have yet to be honoured They threaten to block several national roads and borders, say French unions.
UK hauliers say they plan to bypass France for the weekend of 1-3 November. Mark Guterres, owner of Norfolk based Transam Trucking, says his company will lose £2,000-.C3,000 re-routeing trucks to avoid France on that weekend. "We have looked through our books to see which contracts we could move," says Guterres. "We have taken France and especially Calais out of our equation for the first two weeks in November. We will now travel via Belgium and other ferry ports."
Mike Beer, managing director of Mike Beer Transport, will also keep his trucks out of France on 3 November. "We will take other shipping lanes," says Beer. "We will then wait and see what happens after the weekend if the strike continues."
Guterres is angry with the French hauliers for repeating their actions of last year. "It is time they started living in the real world," he says. "Their demands are just unreasonable."
The Road Haulage Association says: "This is very disturbing. Last year's dispute caused severe financial damage—this will do the same." And the Freight Transport Association says: "We are very angry. We are still recovering from the first strike and waiting for the compensation promised from that." • Ferry companies are on standby to divert their ships away from the blockaded roads. A spokesman for Siena says: "The moment we can't get into France, we'll reroute to Zeebrugge, the same as last year." But he warns hauliers to plan for longer waiting and crossing times. "We do 20 sailings a day between Dover and Calais but can't get near that frequency of service to Zeebrugge," Contact: Steno on 01304 868686, Truckline on 01202 441100, P&O on 01304 863344, and Sally on 01843 587395. • Ferry companies are on standby to divert their ships away from the blockaded roads. A spokesman for Siena says: "The moment we can't get into France, we'll reroute to Zeebrugge, the same as last year." But he warns hauliers to plan for longer waiting and crossing times. "We do 20 sailings a day between Dover and Calais but can't get near that frequency of service to Zeebrugge," Contact: Steno on 01304 868686, Truckline on 01202 441100, P&O on 01304 863344, and Sally on 01843 587395.