Ferry staff end strike action (From Daily Echo)
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Brittany Ferry staff call off strike action
12:13pm Monday 1st October 2012 in Shipping
Ferry staff end strike action
BRITTANY ferries is to resume services tomorrow after crew members in France called off their strike action.
The company suspended all sailings from Portsmouth and Plymouth ten days ago after more than 1,200 workers began wildcat industrial action over proposed pay cuts and increased working hours.
The walk-out has affected tens of thousands of passengers due to travel to destinations in France and Spain on one of the firm's eight ferries.
A statement from Brittany Ferries this morning said: “We are pleased to announce that industrial action is over and services will resume on Tuesday afternoon. Please accept our sincere apologies if you were one of the many who suffered disruption to travel plans during the industrial dispute.”
A spokesman added that the majority of crew members had voted yesterday to accept a new deal which included “a number of concessions”. The firm had been seeking to cut costs after sustaining losses for each of the last three years.
The first service will be a 3.30pm departure from Poole to Cherbourg. However a scheduled sailing from Portsmouth to Santander, due to depart at 11am on Wednesday, has been cancelled.
Comments(2)
Boatman
says...
10:52am Tue 2 Oct 12
MGRA wrote:Interesting observation. Would be analogous to the Poole-Cherbourg service which is subcontracted to Condor I believe. Despite the impression given by the above report this service continued throughout the dispute.
Its the beginning of the end for BF. I predict that they will close the caen-portsmout route soon and replace it will a sub-contracted service. That will be the start of the break up and in the end they will have the spanish routes and a couple of others only.
MGRA says...
12:37pm Mon 1 Oct 12