Blacked depot forced to move
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DIDCOT Freight is to move from its present site to a much smaller position after two years of blacking by dockers has cut the amount of business coming to the centre to a fraction of its potential.
But this week Didcot Distribution Company chairman John Swanborough told CM: "The problem is at Southampton in finding jobs for the people who are going to be made redundant.
"We are very disappointed at the situation, but we have by no means given up. This is a familiar story, but there is nothing we can do ," The move by the depot is seen in some quarters as a victory for the Transport and General Workers Union dockers at Southampton and Felixstowe, who have been blacking the depot.
Containerisation and the use of the depot as an inland port were seen by the men as a threat to their livelihoods — but the .depot is not dead, only reduced in size from 200,000 sqft to 30,000 sqft.