As we confirmed last week, almost 2,000 port workers at Felixstowe are due to strike from Sunday 21st August until Monday 29th.

Talks have continued to break down and at this stage there is very little sign that the industrial action will be avoided.

Since the announcement was made, the Westbound management team have been working hard on contingency plans, as we expect major disruption to impact all container ports and transport.

We expect carriers to be planning for their vessels to call at other ports, such as London Gateway, rather than leaving their vessels to sit idle at Felixstowe.

We have already made contact with a number of transport operators regarding booking allocations at alternative ports. We have also mapped out shunt and devan options from vessels diverted and can provide collection and devan options at our own nearby warehouse.

If the strike goes ahead, we anticipate variable costs impacting UK importers and exporters. However, with our preparation already in place, we are making every effort to keep this to a minimum.

Of course, we hope the dispute is settled ahead of any industrial action. However, we are here to help and should the strike proceed, we aim to minimise any frustration that accompanies it.

 

At Westbound Logistics we pride ourselves in offering personalised and tailored logistics solutions. To find out more please call 01375 800800 or email info@westboundglobal.com.