Felixstowe Docks in trouble?

jetski690

Vinegartits wrote: »

The article is now quoted in full on the Port of Felixstowe Unite web page as fact:
http://pofunite.blogspot.com/

Edit: Article just repeated , word for word, on Anglia Tonight.

There's also some very important news from that blog which is very good news for Felixstowe but not Southampton.

pickles110564

jetski690 wrote: »

There's also some very important news from that blog which is very good news for Felixstowe but not Southampton.

Oh so there is reason to feel confident about Felixstowe then.

pickles110564

ccrasher26 wrote: »

So Pickles, why are the management only saying no HOURLY PAID redundancues what about staff?
Perhaps there will be staff redundencies?
The port has to many employees as of now, what will happen if things get worse?
I hope that things dont take a turn for the worse but like any company I guess they would do what is needed.
The local rag as you put it, has it in perspective worrying times ahead!!!!
Im glad you are so confident that the place is still thriving and strong?
Is it wrong to be confident in still believing that the Port will pull through the tough times that are ahead for everyone.

Hopefully our union will meet with the Senior Management to discuss why it does not confirm that there will be no staff redundencies.

pickles110564

jetski690 wrote: »

There's also some very important news from that blog which is very good news for Felixstowe but not Southampton.

I have just read the blog and yes it is very good news for the PORT, this service will bring a large weekly volume increase.
Hopefully this is just the begining of good news coming out of Felixstowe.

Vinegartits

ccrasher26 wrote: »

So Pickles, why are the management only saying no HOURLY PAID redundancues what about staff?
I for one will be worried over the next few months as to wether ill be able to pay the mortgage?
The port has to many employees as of now, what will happen if things get worse?
The local rag as you put it, has it in perspective worrying times ahead!!!!
Im glad you are so confident that the place is still thriving and strong?
But at least we get boxing day off this year as you say!! :beer:

You will notice the press release is very carefully worded to allow higher management wriggle room:

"Chief operating officer David Gledhill said: “The volume of cargo we expect to lose this year is equivalent to losing a fairly significant customer and that is something we cannot just take on the chin.

“What we are absolutely determined not to do is to have wholesale redundancies."

In other words, redundancies yes but in huge numbers no.

“What we are asking the troops today is to take some changes to their terms and conditions so we can avoid redundancies.”

“The message we are trying to convey is there is some short-term pain and we have not taken these decisions lightly.”

"HOLDING on to the skills of the workforce at Felixstowe port will be vital for its future.

Bosses fear that if people are made redundant they may well not be around when the recession ends - they may have moved away or found other work.

Chief operating officer David Gledhill said it cost a great deal of money to train crane drivers and other equipment and machine operators and the port needed to keep that investment in people and skills in place. "

In other words, the crane drivers etc are a valuable commodity, more so than ten-a-penny middle managers who are easier to replace.


"It is still pressing ahead with work on the £250 million expansion project, though it has renegotiated the payments for the work.

“The recession will end and the economy will come back - we don't know when that will be but we will be in a very good position to make the most of that when it happens,” said Mr Gledhill.

He added that the port was confident of gaining some new business this year but it would not replace the level of volume lost so far and that savings still have to be made.

He added: “So far this year we have had a number of people leave voluntarily - through voluntary redundancy, mutual terminal of their contract for a £10,000 payment, which has been attractive to some people, and sabbaticals - and there have been reduced hours.

“All these things though are not enough. They do not make the savings needed to reflect the loss in business we have had.”

And there you have it!


Personally, as I have said before, I would make sure I had at least 3, preferably 6 months wages in the bank and get rid of all debts; hope for the best, prepare for the worst. No one is yet saying 2010 will be any better so there is still a long way to go.

SingleSue

Forgive me for what is possibly a rose tinted look at the last recession but I cannot remember it being as tight for the Port as it is this time.

Yes, hauliers, forwarders and shipping lines were going to the wall (I got made redundant from two of them during that time) but the port company itself seemed a lot better off.

Am I just falsely remembering? Things just seemed a little more positive for the Port even if the outside companies were struggling.

Willievergetone

Vinegartits How is business in your job at the Ipswich Courts?
Have you noticed an increase of Felixstowe Dockers going under?
Any tips lately from your Mason meetings?

Vinegartits

SingleSue wrote: »

Forgive me for what is possibly a rose tinted look at the last recession but I cannot remember it being as tight for the Port as it is this time.

Yes, hauliers, forwarders and shipping lines were going to the wall (I got made redundant from two of them during that time) but the port company itself seemed a lot better off.

Am I just falsely remembering? Things just seemed a little more positive for the Port even if the outside companies were struggling.

I don't think you are Sue but we are seeing an unprecedented slow down that is closer to a full stop in imports which I cannot recall during previous recessions. The size of this particular boom is probably to blame leading to the shock of the "bust" and complete cessation in spending, rather than a gradual slowdown as people tighten their belts.

I have lost count of how many local businessmen and women have said to me that they have never seen anything like it; I'VE never seen anything like it and I am sure I am much older than you. Ultimately no one can say what will happen next so there is probably little point in worrying as what will be will be; all individuals can do is prepare themselves as best they can and hope for the best, the days of certainties are long gone.

mewbie_2

It's a pity the one person who works at the Docks (ignoring his rather pathetic aliases) could not have given some proper anecdotal. The Port is obviously at the leading edge of a recession. If Curries ain't selling TV's then they ain't importing them. It's so bleedin' obvious.

But even now Pickles talks up the silver lining.

Sue. The reason it is worse this time around is that Just in Time manufacturing has been honed to a fine art form. There's no order backlog to work through, the de stocking is almost instant. No sale, no import, no export, no trade. Like throwing a switch.

The question is when will the switch be turned back on? And I do not want to hear some nonsense about silver linings from our eternal optimist. I'd rather hear the truth as more realistic people see it.

Vinegartits

mewbie wrote: »

It's a pity the one person who works at the Docks (ignoring his rather pathetic aliases) could not have given some proper anecdotal. The Port is obviously at the leading edge of a recession. If Curries ain't selling TV's then they ain't importing them. It's so bleedin' obvious.

But even now Pickles talks up the silver lining.

Sue. The reason it is worse this time around is that Just in Time manufacturing has been honed to a fine art form. There's no order backlog to work through, the de stocking is almost instant. No sale, no import, no export, no trade. Like throwing a switch.

The question is when will the switch be turned back on? And I do not want to hear some nonsense about silver linings from our eternal optimist. I'd rather hear the truth as more realistic people see it.

Mewbie, the answer to that is simple - when people start spending again. They won't start spending again until they feel their jobs are secure and currently jobs are being lost at a frightening rate. If memory serves from previous experience, we are talking a 5 year minimum turnaround from the position we are in to where we would all like to be; anyone who thinks this will all be over by next year really has no idea of the size of the problem.