Felixstowe Docks in trouble?

mr.broderick

pickles110564 wrote: »

You are up late or are you kust grabbing a moment to yourself before the littlke darlings start their normal cravings of your time?
Sorry if I have been going on a bit tonight but some of these like making all these false headlines which only goes to scare people when the truth is not so bad.
Yes we will all be going through troubled times but when good news is out there we should not be afraid to publish it.

Not at all pickles, hadn't notice you post anything this evening :rolleyes:

pickles110564

mr.broderick wrote: »

Not at all pickles, hadn't notice you post anything this evening :rolleyes:

Sorry Broders, I get a little bit pasionate when people Slag off the PORT.

SingleSue

pickles110564 wrote: »

You are up late or are you just grabbing a moment to yourself before the little darlings start their normal cravings of your time?
Sorry if I have been going on a bit tonight but some of these like making all these false headlines which only goes to scare people when the truth is not so bad.
Yes we will all be going through troubled times but when good news is out there we should not be afraid to publish it.

Late? That was pretty early for me, the night before, I was posting at 5am!

I think we are all feeling it Pickles, especially for those of us in the area where the town depends on the business as its main employment source so rumour, half facts (and even truths) are blown out of all proportion, or minimised to prevent scare.

It leaves a lot of confused and worried people especially when you see companies that have been trading a while go to the wall. A lot of us saw it in the last recession and remember all too well the feeling of going into work with the worry of if that was going to be your last day. I expect it is different for those who work for the port itself but for the associated companies, it really is a scary time. Having a quiet day or week in the office immediately sparks those concerns especially as right now is generally one of the busiest times of the year for deliveries etc.

The competition for business has always been tough due to the amount of hauliers, forwarders and shipping lines and those who do make a go of it, are generally running to an extremely tight budget (smaller hauliers and forwarders in the main) because to get the business, their business is priced competitively, so any downturn will upset the apple cart pretty quickly. Couple this with the very high fuel costs in the summer and quite a few could already have been teetering on the edge before this downturn with little chance to build reserves up.

I have now come to the conclusion that I can kiss my 'guaranteed' job goodbye thanks to companies tightening their belts, so my safety net (for when childcare was finally sorted) feels a little eeek right now. I haven't been told this directly but they have stopped asking when I can come back, so it is the conclusion I have drawn.

beaujolais-nouveau

pickles110564 wrote: »

Sorry Broders, I get a little bit pasionate when people Slag off the PORT.

Really, I don't think that anyone has actually slagged off the port of Felixstowe - you must be in middle management if you can get so worked up about a perception like that.

International shipping has been in trouble for the past six months - anyone can see that by looking at the Lloyds List and Baltic Dry Index web sites - we are entering a recession worse than anyone can remember, and anyone with two brain cells to rub together will have some idea of the impact on things like ports. So Jetski was not divulging any State secrets.

As an individual, I am very grateful indeed to those who are brave enough to tell it like it is because that enables me to make informed decisions about which precautions I should take to protect myself, which is everyone's right and duty. For several months past, I have been buying in (for my new recession store cupboard) extra quantities of basics like rice, dried milk, condensed milk, tinned meat, and intend to hold at least a year's worth of coffee beans because whereas tea I can live without I would so miss my two bowls of coffee at breakfast. I have seen the prices of some imported food go up by 30 per cent overnight, and when that happens the proverbial writing is on the wall. I have bought extra, hand-operated or battery-operated gadgets to help with running the household when we start having extended power cuts.

What I do NOT need is people like you saying everything is just great and nothing to worry about. If I followed your advice, I would probably be starving two years hence.

jetski690

pickles110564 wrote: »

What you dont seem to have picked up on is that we visit each other and go out for drinks down our local pub.

We do when your aloud out which is not often.

jetski690

Ok I'm not prepared to argue this in public anymore cause I think it's only of interest to a few people, and if I cared to I can argue with Pickles110564 face to face. As a matter of interest the aforementioned terminal which was closing down is now staying open and has a reprieve at least until March, I don't think it's what management wanted by any means but think it's due the shipping lines that are contracted to the terminal not wanting to leave, so the little man has thought back:j

pickles110564

jetski690 wrote: »

Ok I'm not prepared to argue this in public anymore cause I think it's only of interest to a few people, and if I cared to I can argue with Pickles110564 face to face. As a matter of interest the aforementioned terminal which was closing down is now staying open and has a reprieve at least until March, I don't think it's what management wanted by any means but think it's due the shipping lines that are contracted to the terminal not wanting to leave, so the little man has thought back:j

Well said!

drbeat

beaujolais-nouveau wrote: »

enables me to make informed decisions about which precautions I should take to protect myself, which is everyone's right and duty. For several months past, I have been buying in (for my new recession store cupboard) extra quantities of basics like rice, dried milk, condensed milk, tinned meat, and intend to hold at least a year's worth of coffee beans because whereas tea I can live without I would so miss my two bowls of coffee at breakfast. I have seen the prices of some imported food go up by 30 per cent overnight, and when that happens the proverbial writing is on the wall. I have bought extra, hand-operated or battery-operated gadgets to help with running the household when we start having extended power cuts.

Don't forget to get the iron bars on your windows!

Also, it maybe a good idea to invest in some DIY Crossbow kits. I'm sure you can get them from China and they may even go through Felixstowe to get to you.

Vinegartits

jetski690 wrote: »

...As a matter of interest the aforementioned terminal which was closing down is now staying open and has a reprieve at least until March, I don't think it's what management wanted by any means but think it's due the shipping lines that are contracted to the terminal not wanting to leave, so the little man has thought back:j

Jetski, I don't have the option of discussing this in person with you or Pickles so you'll have to forgive me for asking: Does the above mean that a cost-cutting measure proposed by management has now been shelved? If so, surely they will be looking for other areas where cuts can be made?

beaujolais-nouveau

drbeat wrote: »

Don't forget to get the iron bars on your windows!

Also, it maybe a good idea to invest in some DIY Crossbow kits. I'm sure you can get them from China and they may even go through Felixstowe to get to you.

Yes, that's right, big boy: mock anyone who's being sensible and prudent.