UK hauliers fight for Um in France
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by Karen Miles and Lee Kimber • UK hauliers who face losing Elm after French transport company Euroway SA went into administrative receivership three weeks ago crossed the Channel this week in a bid to recover their money.
At a meeting in Le Havre last Monday, UK, French and Italian operators heard that 110 hauliers, including around 40 UK owner-drivers and small operators, are owed almost £2m by the Dieppe-based company. They have formed an association to press for the French authorities to hear their claims in Dieppe, away from the competing claims against Euroway's Agenbased parent company ATI„ whose receivership triggered its own.
"The chances of receiving the money are very, very slim," according to Probo International Transport director Jon Budd, whose company is owed £63,500.
Euroway owes UK hauliers sums between £1,500 and L100,000—the equivalent of three months' work—for hauling Euroway and customer-owned trailers out of Portsmouth and Ramsgate. "Most of them are doing a lot of fast talking with their hank managers and dealer-suppli ers," says Budd, "as have we."
Creditors who attended the meeting heard that Euroway is still trading but were told by the receivers that it will pay them after eight days. Even if the association wins its call to have the case moved at a meeting scheduled for the end of July, creditors are unlikely to receive any money for at least a year, Budd predicts. Their claims are among hundreds against ATL's owner Christian Lemunier.
Hauliers will have to pay FR500 (£68) to join the association; for more details contact Budd on 01329 284410.