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| Theresa May promises joint action with France on ferry strike chaos | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Theresa May and her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, have jointly pledged to do more to end the cross-Channel chaos connected to strikes at Calais, which haulage organisations have said is the worst to afflict the industry. | Theresa May and her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, have jointly pledged to do more to end the cross-Channel chaos connected to strikes at Calais, which haulage organisations have said is the worst to afflict the industry. |
| The home secretary and Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, said they would rush through work to improve security at the port, including measures to prevent access to the Channel tunnel, which striking French MyFerryLink staff have blocked several times. | |
| They also promised moves to address the wider issue of hundreds of migrants massing at Calais as they attempt to find a way to the UK, including ways to “explain the reality of the asylum system and welfare in the UK”. | They also promised moves to address the wider issue of hundreds of migrants massing at Calais as they attempt to find a way to the UK, including ways to “explain the reality of the asylum system and welfare in the UK”. |
| The disruption began on Monday when MyFerryLink workers staged a strike in protest at expected job cuts. The Channel tunnel reopened on Tuesday afternoon after a three-hour shutdown. | The disruption began on Monday when MyFerryLink workers staged a strike in protest at expected job cuts. The Channel tunnel reopened on Tuesday afternoon after a three-hour shutdown. |
| Although the blockade by strikers at Calais has been lifted, cross-Channel ferry services remain limited, with thousands of lorries still lining the M20 motorway in Kent as part of Operation Stack, a police scheme to limit disruption amid delays which have lasted in some cases beyond 48 hours. | Although the blockade by strikers at Calais has been lifted, cross-Channel ferry services remain limited, with thousands of lorries still lining the M20 motorway in Kent as part of Operation Stack, a police scheme to limit disruption amid delays which have lasted in some cases beyond 48 hours. |
| Kent police say Operation Stack remains at level four, the first time this has happened, which means four separate sections of the M20, both coastbound and inbound, have been reserved for waiting lorries. About 3,500 trucks remain in the queue, according to the force. | Kent police say Operation Stack remains at level four, the first time this has happened, which means four separate sections of the M20, both coastbound and inbound, have been reserved for waiting lorries. About 3,500 trucks remain in the queue, according to the force. |
| Both Kent police and Highways England said it was possible the operation would be moved to phase five, but as yet there was no need for more space for the waiting traffic. | Both Kent police and Highways England said it was possible the operation would be moved to phase five, but as yet there was no need for more space for the waiting traffic. |
| Peter Cullum from industry group the Road Haulage Association said the demands on Operation Stack remained unprecedented. He said: “Traffic is moving, but at the moment the backlog is building up quicker than the traffic can leave the queue, so there is a steady increase in the number of vehicles to be dealt with.” | Peter Cullum from industry group the Road Haulage Association said the demands on Operation Stack remained unprecedented. He said: “Traffic is moving, but at the moment the backlog is building up quicker than the traffic can leave the queue, so there is a steady increase in the number of vehicles to be dealt with.” |
| Cullum said his organisation was still advising members not to send drivers towards Channel ports or the tunnel. “We would say don’t start, for the simple reason that you’ve got a duty of care over your driver, plus if you’ve got perishable goods you’ve got no guarantees you’ll be able to get away. It’s been going on for two days now and the queues haven’t been getting any smaller.” | |
| In my 35 years-plus in the industry this is the worst set of incidents at the Channel I’ve seen | |
| The situation could deteriorate further with holiday traffic arriving from Friday, he added. “Normally, the freight traffic doesn’t go across in large numbers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but now there’s a backlog and the private traffic may still come.” | The situation could deteriorate further with holiday traffic arriving from Friday, he added. “Normally, the freight traffic doesn’t go across in large numbers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but now there’s a backlog and the private traffic may still come.” |
| Nick Lowe, the UK managing director of the German freight company Dachser, said his operation still had more than 50 lorries either waiting in the queue or late in returning to depots. While Eurotunnel shuttles were operating as normal, drivers had to wait for many hours to board, he said. Routes using other ports were overbooked, he added. | Nick Lowe, the UK managing director of the German freight company Dachser, said his operation still had more than 50 lorries either waiting in the queue or late in returning to depots. While Eurotunnel shuttles were operating as normal, drivers had to wait for many hours to board, he said. Routes using other ports were overbooked, he added. |
| He said it was the greatest such disruption yet. “When I was updating our head office in Germany I did write that in my 35 years-plus in the industry this is the worst set of incidents at the Channel I’ve seen. I think anyone in the industry would say the same thing.” | He said it was the greatest such disruption yet. “When I was updating our head office in Germany I did write that in my 35 years-plus in the industry this is the worst set of incidents at the Channel I’ve seen. I think anyone in the industry would say the same thing.” |
| MPs in Kent were seeking an urgent meeting with the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, about severe disruption on the county’s roads. | MPs in Kent were seeking an urgent meeting with the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, about severe disruption on the county’s roads. |
| Helen Grant, the MP for Maidstone, said the group wanted a nationwide response. “We need a national procedure in place to prevent the confluence of lorries from all over the country creating a logjam in Kent every time there is disruption to Channel crossings,” she said. “This is a national problem, not a Kent problem, but it is Kent that takes it on the chin every time.” | Helen Grant, the MP for Maidstone, said the group wanted a nationwide response. “We need a national procedure in place to prevent the confluence of lorries from all over the country creating a logjam in Kent every time there is disruption to Channel crossings,” she said. “This is a national problem, not a Kent problem, but it is Kent that takes it on the chin every time.” |
| On Wednesday evening P&O ferries resumed a limited service after the port of Calais began allowing one ferry at a time to enter. Officials in Dover said they did not know when the strike would end. | On Wednesday evening P&O ferries resumed a limited service after the port of Calais began allowing one ferry at a time to enter. Officials in Dover said they did not know when the strike would end. |
| We sincerely regret the impact to the travelling public, freight & the Dover Community of a Calais situation which is beyond our control. | We sincerely regret the impact to the travelling public, freight & the Dover Community of a Calais situation which is beyond our control. |
| On Wednesday, police and rescue workers from HM Coastguard distributed emergency food and water to drivers stuck in vehicles on the hottest July day on record. | On Wednesday, police and rescue workers from HM Coastguard distributed emergency food and water to drivers stuck in vehicles on the hottest July day on record. |
| P&O Ferries’ chief executive, Helen Deeble, pointed out that P&O employed thousands of people on both sides of the Channel, adding: “This damaging and dangerous industrial action is now putting those jobs at risk.” | |
| Crew members and catering staff on MyFerryLink services announced the strike after Eurotunnel, which owns the ships, sold the cross-Channel service to rival operator DFDS. Up to 600 jobs, including 70 in Dover, are under threat. | Crew members and catering staff on MyFerryLink services announced the strike after Eurotunnel, which owns the ships, sold the cross-Channel service to rival operator DFDS. Up to 600 jobs, including 70 in Dover, are under threat. |
| The cabinet minister Oliver Letwin chaired a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee to discuss the situation in Calais, and David Cameron spoke by phone with François Hollande, the French president. | The cabinet minister Oliver Letwin chaired a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee to discuss the situation in Calais, and David Cameron spoke by phone with François Hollande, the French president. |
| Jim Barker, a TNT lorry driver who spoke to the Guardian about his frustration at being stuck in the M20 queue, finally made it to Paris on Wednesday night. He said his journey from Northampton had taken 41 hours. | Jim Barker, a TNT lorry driver who spoke to the Guardian about his frustration at being stuck in the M20 queue, finally made it to Paris on Wednesday night. He said his journey from Northampton had taken 41 hours. |