1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 
A ferry French farce
Page 14
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Two French ferry blockades halt trucks. David Harris reports.
TWO PROTEST blockades hit French ferry ports last week and left UK operators fuming in long queues.
On Wednesday frustrated hauliers found their trucks stopped by fishermen objecting to fishing quotas — and the next day SeaFrance workers blocked the port again to protest against new employment laws.
Trucks stacked up in queues many miles long on both sides of the Channel as ferry operators were forced to cancel sailing after sailing. costing UK industry millions of pounds.
But French industrial militancy is so commonplace, say hauliers. that their disgust is mixed with resignation.
Nick Charlesworth, general manager of Laser Transport nternational, says: "It happens so often that you become immune to it in one way. But it is incredibly frustrating.
Charlesworth adds that insur ance does not cover delays caused by strikes and many return loads are missed, forcing hauliers to subcontract or use extra vehicles to fulfil their obligations."It's hard to work out exactly what it costs us, but we just have to take it on the chin," he shrugs.
One man who has attempted to put a price on the blockades is Geoff Dossetter, external affairs director of the Freight Transport Association.
"By multiplying the hourly rate by the number of vehicles affected I've calculated that last Wednesday's action cost UK hauliers Lim for the eight-hour blockade," he says.
It's equally frustrating for the ferry operators, but they are taking an increasingly hard line themselves, exhibiting a determination to hold the French to account if actions are illegal (see panel).
P&O alone cancelled more than 70 sailings on Wednesday and Thursday.