The CGT staff union representing port workers at Calais is threatening to stage strike action from midnight tonight if the Port Authority does not heed its demands for a greater police presence to deal with migrants in and around the French Channel port.
The union claims that more security resources are required at Calais'Port Est terminal to ensure he safety of staff and customers. It is also calling for roundtable discussions on workloads relating to the construction of Calais Port 2015 - a major infrastructure project which got underway recently at the French Channel port.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority told Lloyd's Loading List.com earlier today that the strike call remained in place, adding that while there was contact between the union and management, no formal negotiations were taking place.
"As things stand, the strike is going ahead, which would have a direct impact on cross-Channel traffic as it could involve personnel responsible for checking trucks entering the port and mooring vessels. Obviously, the scale of the impact will depend on how many workers support the strike," the spokesperson added.
Calais has just recovered from a ‘summer of discontent’, which saw frequent disruption to ferry services as a result of the MyFerrylink dispute. Its transport capacity was also severely tested several times when Eurotunnel was forced to suspend its truck shuttles on multiple occasions due to intrusions from migrants.