Ferry passengers avoid delays

Those travelling by ferry this holiday weekend have narrowly avoided travel chaos.

Travel Insurance News - 31/03/2013

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Those travelling by ferry this holiday weekend have narrowly avoided travel chaos.

French port directors were set to stage a “national day of action” on Thursday after labour unions and management failed to reach an agreement over pay early in the week. The strikes were set to affect most cross-channel routes including all P&O ships headed for Dieppe, Calais, Dunkirk and Cherbourg.

However, officials announced in the early morning on Thursday, just hours before the strike was to commence, that the two sides had reached a new pay agreement. The deal prompted the cancellations of strikes, which were set to affect as many as seven million travellers scheduled to cross the English Channel over the weekend.

Spokesman Chris Laming of P&O ferries told the media the agreement was “excellent news” for all those will ferry bookings over Easter.

The cancellation also likely helped travellers to avoid major backups on regional roadways as well, as officials from Kent Police had said that they were prepared to put Operation Shack into action, which allows lorry drivers to park along the M20 during ferry delays.

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