As CM went to press, the Port of Dover was "operating near to normal" despite the start of a 48-hour strike by more than half of its staff. The strike by 330 Unite union members out of a total 550 port staff was sparked by the port saying it would withdraw from "an unsustainable monopoly position as the sole supplier of landside services to the customer ferry operators". These include mooring ships, handling goods and trailers and security activities.
However the union claims this will lead to the outsourcing of jobs and threaten their members' pensions. Dover Harbour Board chief executive Bob Goldfield says: "We have put in place a thorough contingency plan maintaining regular ferry services which will ensure the port remains open round the clock up to the implementation of the new working arrangements."
A Dover port spokesman says it has been training up non-union staff for several weeks and will also rely on outsourcing essential services.
Unite's national secretary for docks and waterways, Brendan Gold, says Port of Dover management have forgotten the huge contribution its members make in running the port efficiently. Kent Police Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas comments: "The volume of freight travelling through Kent on its way to Europe is usually at its peak midweek - so if traffic backs up as a result of the strike, Kent Police may need to put in both phases of Operation Stack."
