Labour has written to the Secretary of State for International
Trade, , urging the
Government to protect the vital flow of trade at UK ports after
warnings that disruption at ports could last up to 7-10 days
after P&O Ferries’ management terminated 800 staff members
without any notice.
, Labour’s Shadow
International Trade Secretary, has demanded that the Government
take the following urgent steps to keep goods moving:
- Convene meeting with Chief Executives of affected Ports and
other shipping providers across the UK to see what substitute
services can be brought in to keep lorries moving.
- Bring together supermarkets, pharmaceutical providers and
other essential good suppliers to ascertain the impact of the
disruption and to see what steps can be taken to minimise it.
- Create an emergency team within the Department for
International Trade, working across Government, to monitor the
situation of the flow of goods at ports and be a link to
businesses who may be affected.
Mr Thomas-Symonds MP, in his letter, highlights that “businesses,
livelihoods and jobs rely heavily on these routes with any delays
causing huge ramifications and spiralling costs.” He also raises,
what Labour has already called for, that DP World, parent company
of P&O Ferries should be removed from the department’s
Transport Advisory Board.
, Labour’s Shadow
International Trade Secretary, said:
“The appalling decision to terminate the contracts of 800 people
in their UK workforce was scandalous and wrong: it affects the
lives of so many seafarers and also risks the smooth flow of
trade.
“P&O has been extremely reckless and now are putting
businesses, jobs and livelihoods at risk as lorries are being
held up as ferries become less frequent.
“Ministers need to urgently act to make sure that trade is
flowing easily and that essential goods, like food and medicines,
are reaching the shelves and not be held up. This situation calls
for speedy action so that we keep Britain moving, food on the
shelves and businesses importing and exporting without
difficulty.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
-
Letter text below:
Dear Anne-Marie,
I write regarding the impact on trade of P&O Ferries –
appallingly - terminating the contracts of their UK workforce of
800 people. This decision, both in principle, and in the way it
was carried out, is scandalous and wrong. No employee, anywhere,
should be treated in this way.
At present, P&O ferries are in dock and are not moving. The
Minister for Aviation and Maritime, , told the House of
Commons on Thursday 17th March that four routes will be suspended
for a week to ten days: Dover to Calais; Larne to Cairnryan;
Dublin to Liverpool; and Hull to Rotterdam.
Substantial amounts of goods and trade, and people, pass through
these ports on a daily basis: £144 billion worth of UK trade
passes through the Port of Dover every year; the Port of Hull
handles £12 billion worth of goods each year.
Businesses, livelihoods and jobs rely heavily on these routes
with any delays causing huge ramifications and spiralling costs.
As inflation increases, interest rates have risen, and people
feel the pinch of the cost of living squeeze, delays of seven to
ten days on transportation would make the situation even worse.
I urge you to take the following steps in order to protect the
vital flow of trade:
- Urgently convene meetings with the Chief Executives of
affected ports and with other shipping providers across the UK to
ascertain what substitute services can be brought in;
- Urgently convene meetings with supermarkets and essential
goods suppliers – including pharmaceuticals – to ascertain the
impact of any disruption and what steps can be taken to minimise
it;
- Create an emergency team within the Department for
International Trade, working with other relevant government
departments, to monitor the situation at ports around the clock
until normal services resume and to be a link to businesses who
may be affected by ongoing disruption.
Labour has already called for P&O’s parent company DP World
to be removed from the department’s Transport Advisory Group. Can
you please confirm if you will be doing this? If not, please
explain why.
I look forward to your urgent response.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Hon
Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade
