# Calais Port closed by strike.



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

BBC reported at 1035(BST) that Calais Port has been closed by a strike.

No further details at the moment.

Geoff

EDIT Press release here

http://www.doverport.co.uk/about/news/port-of-calais-closed-due-to-industrial-action/12998/


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

nicholsong said:


> BBC reported at 1035(BST) that Calais Port has been closed by a strike.
> 
> No further details at the moment.
> 
> Geoff


Led by Myferrylink workers apparently :frown2:

Slow moving trucks are being targeted by migrants.

Eurotunnel also affected

All good fun :surprise:

tony


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Also:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-33235473

tony


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I presume 'Operation Stack' is, or soon will be, put in operation on the M20.


----------



## dalspa (Jul 1, 2008)

I'm surprised that the MyFerryLink workers didn't go out on stike before the decision was made to close them down.

DavidL


----------



## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

Who the hell else would ever want to take them on with the attitude to customers they are demonstrating today........


----------



## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

Hope it's a quick flash in the pan as I'm off to Belgium tomorrow afternoon :surprise:


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

TheNomad said:


> Who the hell else would ever want to take them on with the attitude to customers they are demonstrating today........


If they are taken on it should be done on English Law contracts, which would be subject to English strike laws, any breach of which would see them dismissed and replaced by British crew.

Of course that would not stop them putting up blockades, but what will? Other than the French sending in the riot police, which they seem unwilling to do against striking workers, even when they are acting illegally and dangerously.

Geoff


----------



## randonneur (Jan 25, 2007)

I think you will find that the French Police have the same union as the striking seamen.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Tunnel now closed and French Deputy Mayor of Calais has made this helpful comment, he is obviously really upset about what is going on and is totally behind........... ?

_The deputy mayor of Calais, Philippe Mignonet, told the BBC that the UK government was to blame for the number of migrants attempting to cross.
"We will block the port - as simple as that. We'll arrange to block the tunnel if nothing is done," Mr Mignonet said._

So he has no intention of asking for anyone to stop the strikers causing chaos or the would be immigrants trying to get on lorries or disrupting traffic....

that quote is from the BBC page.....

Dave


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

randonneur said:


> I think you will find that the French Police have the same union as the striking seamen.


Well if the French police will not enforce the Rule of Law what hope is their for their country?

Off with their heads!

Does the President of France feel he is protected by the French police when he makes a decision that part of their union members disagree with? Or will they turn a blind eye to Carlos the Jackal? - even let him out of prison for the 'job'?

Mon ami - Merdre!:surprise:

Geoff


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Not being a trucker I have to ask, why do not the lorry drivers pull up tight up behind each other to stop any trailer doors being opened, or could that not work, to stop these people getting inside.

cabby


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I wonder why ALL rear doors are not locked as a matter of course - it seems so logical to me but I am sure someone will explain why they are left to be opened - as of course HMRC can do at Dover anyway....

Dave


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Why so many curtain walled sides made of flimsy canvas ? At least they should have a grille.

tony


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Chunnel resumption, two per hour:laugh:


tony


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

EU Regulations are part of the problem that we have with migrants wanting to come to the UK.

We can't pay A Spaniard who has come to the UK or any person that has been granted asylum in the UK, less than someone who has lived here all their life.

But we can pay someone, who speaks no English, is not eligible for work, cannot work, or does not want to work. 

And we cannot pay benefits to someone who has paid NIC/Employers NIC, Taxes for 40 years, though not for the last two years (they are not entitled to any benefits if they own a home ). They have to sell that home to finance themselves or get a job.


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

More to come: :surprise:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...traffic-chaos-sneek-trucks-bound-Britain.html

tony


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

But it's completely mad 

One way or another 
There needs to be a national plan to tackle migrants

They need to escape, someone needs to take them
Why not a quota ??

It's only going to get worse as people escape to find asylum 
Nothing will stop it
You and I would do the same
To save our kids

I don't know the answer

Aldra


----------



## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

The police were on TV moving the workers away from train lines 

Trucks. Curtainside or tilts, are a very lightweight and simple method of covering a trailer. In the past they were cut with a knife! 

Doors are only locked on high value loads, as the less than state of the art trailers have padlock loops, and the locks are exchanged. 

I feel for the drivers. They're not getting paid that well, but get assaulted by these people when they try and kick them out. 

The French should take them home on a plane. It would certainly slow them down.


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

America Should be more accomodating


----------



## The-Cookies (Nov 28, 2010)

aldra said:


> But it's completely mad
> 
> One way or another
> There needs to be a national plan to tackle migrants
> ...


genuine asylum seekers yes, they don't want asylum they want Britain and would do it for my kids yes , but i haven't seen any immigrant kids in Calais , they are all mostly young men.

john


----------



## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

The-Cookies said:


> genuine asylum seekers yes, they don't want asylum they want Britain and would do it for my kids yes , but i haven't seen any immigrant kids in Calais , they are all mostly young men.
> 
> john


I think you'll find that the most effective way to help your family if times are desperate isn't to try and take the whole lot with you to a new land. But to do that journey on your own where you can take greater risks, travel lighter, eat less and at a lower cost. And send money back when you find a job.
Many migrants send most of their meagre earnings back to their families. Those that make it of course. Those that drown, fall from the sky etc leave families behind with no hope.


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Pat-H said:


> I think you'll find that the most effective way to help your family if times are desperate isn't to try and take the whole lot with you to a new land. But to do that journey on your own where you can take greater risks, travel lighter, eat less and at a lower cost. And send money back when you find a job.
> Many migrants send most of their meagre earnings back to their families. Those that make it of course. Those that drown, fall from the sky etc leave families behind with no hope.


I assumed that most immigrants and asylum seekers were fleeing from war zones and civil unrest. Just the environment that you needed to get your women and children out of and for young men to stay and try to sort it out.


----------



## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

Spacerunner said:


> I assumed that most immigrants and asylum seekers were fleeing from war zones and civil unrest. Just the environment that you needed to get your women and children out of and for young men to stay and try to sort it out.


They will to get out of immediate danger. But travelling more than a few hundred miles just isn't possible. 
It must be heart breaking to have to make the choice to leave your family defenceless and even more vulnerable while you travel thousands of miles in the hope to find work and money.
No wonder they look so desperate on the news.

My real concern is that the right wings press coverage and painting of many of these people as evil and devious grossly under prepares us for how to help and deal with their plight.


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

teemyob said:


> America Should be more accomodating


You reckon? Have a look at some stats. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/prog...stination-countries-global-migrants-over-time

America has the most immigrants by a country mile. We are quite far up the list but Germany takes more than us and other EU countries similar. Everyone here thinks its just the UK they are heading for because of the news stories at Calais etc but its simply not the case. Its an EU problem and requires an EU solution.

Its no good the French blaming the UK or the UK thinking its just us. Quotas need to be agreed and they are working towards that but more help is needed at source as well.


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

barryd said:


> Quotas need to be agreed and they are working towards that but more help is needed at source as well.


Surely they could give the immigrants jobs for that.

Is it HP or Daddies that have the problem?


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

If there were a quota system, who would decide which immigrants went to the countries with

A Low unemployment

B High average wage

C High/long unemployment benefits

and which would go to countries at the other end of the scale?

Do you give preference to skilled people? Do you give the skilled/educated people their preference or do you let countries bid for the skilled people? If either how do you allocate the unskilled?

Do you count only the workng adults in the quota or the wives(from cultures where they are not educated/allowed to work) and children also?

What right of appeal has each immigrant if he/she is allocated to a poorer country? 

What do you do if an immigrant refuses the offer and refuses to move? Force-march them into cattle wagons and promise them a shower on arrival:surprise:

There is a lot more to think about than putting quota numbers on a piece of paper - these are human beings coming to a continent where they believe they have rights.

The citizens of European countries also have rights - already Czech, Slowak, Polish and Hungarian governments are protesting.

How does one balance the rights of the disparate groups?

Geoff


----------



## The-Cookies (Nov 28, 2010)

Pat-H said:


> I think you'll find that the most effective way to help your family if times are desperate isn't to try and take the whole lot with you to a new land. But to do that journey on your own where you can take greater risks, travel lighter, eat less and at a lower cost. And send money back when you find a job.
> Many migrants send most of their meagre earnings back to their families. Those that make it of course. Those that drown, fall from the sky etc leave families behind with no hope.


i think you will find, the carrot is Britain, they don't want asylum anywhere else ,which you would take if you were desperate enough , they want here, you may not have areas full of immigrants where you live, lots do, thank god we do have a channel separating us from Europe, imagine what it would be like then, mind you opening a dingy shop in Calais could be a good money spinner :wink2:


----------



## The-Cookies (Nov 28, 2010)

Pat-H said:


> I think you'll find that the most effective way to help your family if times are desperate isn't to try and take the whole lot with you to a new land. But to do that journey on your own where you can take greater risks, travel lighter, eat less and at a lower cost. And send money back when you find a job.
> Many migrants send most of their meagre earnings back to their families. Those that make it of course. Those that drown, fall from the sky etc leave families behind with no hope.


i think you will find, the carrot is Britain, they don't want asylum anywhere else ,which you would take if you were desperate enough , they want here, you may not have areas full of immigrants where you live, lots do.

i'm thankful we do have a channel separating us from Europe, imagine what it would be like then.

and where do you get the information that these are all fathers, or even part of a family.

mind you opening a dingy shop in Calais could be a good money spinner :wink2::wink2:


----------



## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

The ones that already speak English want to come to England - If you already spoke English would you want to end up somewhere where you had to learn yet another language from scratch? 

Second best could be The Netherlands or Northern Belgium where they speak better English than most northerners do here.


----------



## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

We returned to the UK via the tunnel this morning with no problems and only a minor 20 minute delay...........................if anybody is interested :wink2::surprise:


----------



## wp1234 (Sep 29, 2009)

Thanks for the info maybe we should keep this thread going for the next few weeks to provide up to date info to us travellers .


----------



## JLO (Sep 27, 2006)

We are at Dover at the minute waiting to get on the ferry, the police told us this afternoon they are putting operation stack in place again and the DFDS ferry staff have told us it's all going to "kick off" again tomorrow, not sure if this is correct but we got the impression there would be no ferries over this weekend


----------



## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

See Here: Post no. 29

http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/32-ferry-tunnel/143866-my-ferrylink-latest-3.html

Yep - this aint over yet folks!!!!!!


----------



## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

arrived in Dover via the A2 last Wednesday on time and had no queue whatsoever at passport control or checkin.
Coming back yesterday evening there were no traffic queues on the autoroute into Calais but at passport control it was obvious the French have been stung into putting on a show, gendarmes were looking inside car boots etc. 4 lanes open and a 20-minute wait to get through. A couple of white vans towing caravans were pulled to the side for a full search.


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Word on the street...................they're at it again tomorrow :surprise:


tony


----------

