Seamen face reefer fury
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• Furious reefer operators are to sue the National Union of Seamen for losses suffered during the week-long ferry strike.
Up to 30 members of the reefer-owners' lobby group Transfrigoroute are taking legal advice: they were the biggest losers during the dispute because their loads are perishable and it costs more to run refrigerated units. "We are after blood," says Transfrigoroute (UK) chairman Graham Eames.
Reefers cost up to £150 for every day they are stranded. Many operators face claims for late delivery from customers, and thousands of pounds worth of goods have been destroyed. Only some of this can be reclaimed through insurance, says Eames.
He says his members have been advised by lawyers that they have a good case for suing the NUS under the 1984 Trade Union Act and the 1980 Employment Act, on the basis that the seamen's action was unlawful. "We are sick to death of picking up the tab every time someone decides to have a gripe about conditions," he says.
Several companies have told Transfrigoroute that they are considering legal action. They include Christian Salvesen, Hargreave International, Eldridge Transport and Livestock Sales Transport.
John Chapman, general manager of European transport for Christian Salvesen, says the company lost money in the dispute: "We had a lot of cooperation from customers, but our turnover has been reduced." He meets with his directors on Monday to decide the next step. Suing is not something the company wants to do, but it is "certainly an option", he says.
Transfrigoroute is also urging the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association to encourage their members to sue the seamen. Dave Green of the FTA says its lawyers will advise any operator taking legal action, but the association will leave the decision to individual companies.
The National Union of Seamen faced a High Court ruling that its strike was in contempt, as Commercial Motor went to press on Tuesday (9 February). It could leave the union open to sequestration of its assets, which are worth about 22.8 million.
LI UK hauliers are now counting the cost of the week-long seamen's strike, which collapsed on Sunday.
According to Freight Transport Association estimates, the dispute may have cost the industry £3 million, with companies whose lorries were logjammed at ports losing £200 to £300 a day.
Queues of trucks at Dover and Folkestone, the worst-hit ports, began to clear at the weekend.
Jubilant drivers expressed relief after waiting in tailbacks on the M20 for several days. Several Continental drivers had only just returned after going home for the weekend. . . as passengers.