Massive redundancies at London Thamesport


A large amount of redundancies have been announced at London Thamesport, this is due to the departure of Hapag Lloyd to the Port Of Southampton as from the first week in November 2013. Listed below is the revised shipping list for this Port. The Dockers here work for the same company as us here in Felixstowe so they should be offered the full support of the Dockers here at Felixstowe.



Estimated ArrivalIn PortVesselNationalityLineUVIVoyageEstimated Departure
Thu 31 Oct 13 09.00PAULAGBTET98321B BULK1Fri 01 Nov 13 00.01
Fri 01 Nov 13 22.00WASHINGTON EXPRESSUSHL3940864W44Sat 02 Nov 13 08.00
Sat 02 Nov 13 13.00LISA SCHULTECYHL3941006W44Sun 03 Nov 13 01.00
Sat 02 Nov 13 19.00LISAAGBGFR40113134389Sun 03 Nov 13 04.00
Sun 03 Nov 13ENFORCERNLMACA403330072ESun 03 Nov 13
Mon 04 Nov 13SOPHIACYMACA403344406SMon 04 Nov 13
Mon 04 Nov 13FLINTERCAPENLMACA403310071WTue 05 Nov 13

Most of this has been caused by London Gateway opening up with no new trade and due to the fact that their workforce will be non unionised casual labour.................. we live in a modern age but this new super port is going back to the 1940s






Comments

  1. I’m sorry, but I do not see any connection between Thames Port closure and London Gateway?
    Perhaps if Felixstowe wouldn’t take Evergreen and Themes Port was more competitive, than we would not have this situation.

    And just to be clear, vast majority of our staff actually does not want union here… Think about it…

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    1. Lets wait and see what happens when Hapag Lloyd go to Southampton ( owned by DP World ) and maybe a service switch from Southampton to London Gateway to save it from being a white elephant.

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  2. Do you really think that we would be on the terms and conditions we have, if it wasn't for the union??? I think the company would love to employ people on a couple of hundred pound a week, and send you home on no pay when the work load is light. I've worked on the docks since I left school, I don't know where most of the people, that work down here, have worked before, but I bet they can have their jobs back again, if working down here is so bad. I think we all need to take a reality check, look at what's on offer outside of the Dock gates, and start to appreciate what sticking together, as one, has got us.

    Brian Richardson. (Crunch, A shift cranes)

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    1. Crunch / Brian. A very bold but very true statement. Sometimes the truth hurts but alas it is the best tonic for some people. I admire you for putting your name to this.

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  3. Sticking Together .. from a Crane Driver .. lol

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    1. Us crane drivers used to be given a bit of respect for what we did but not anymore.its just push push push and if you do any damage they want to hang you.

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  4. Lct at tilbury have unanimously today voted for industrial action over increased working practices .

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    1. Go for it lads.............It's getting like energy providers in this country GREED. Be happy with making a healthy profit and not bleeding your front line workers dry.

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  5. Why do crane drivers deserve anymore respect than anybody else on the docks,we all have a job to do its just some like to moan a bit more than others.

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    1. We do have a lot of responsibility in a safety critical environment.

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  6. Let's all remember what ever job we do we are dockers, we need to get back to basics and support each other . That's the only forward to protect us all from the greed in our industry.

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    1. We should all read this and take on board what is being said in this statement because it affects ALL OF US.

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  7. Yes it affects us all but it would seem some sections think they are a cut above the rest and it won't affect them.

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  8. I agree with the first comment regarding Felixstowe and Thamesport. If Hutchinson invested earlier in Thamesport then perhaps you would have had more competion from Thamesport. Instead of Felixstowe being marketed before Thamesport. I can see big congestion problems at Southampton when Hapag start up next week. and yes I can see Hapag going to London Gateway. So well done Hutchinson for loosing interest in Thamesport and now giving London Gateway DP World a good chance of getting Hutchinson's old Thamesport customers. You could say that Hutchinson have shot their own foot on this one!

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    1. Could not agree more with above.

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  9. I am sure that some of felixstowes senior manages monitor this site and would like to see a divided workforce . No hourly paid job needs a degree. Skygods you only have further to fall so let's stick together.

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    1. What a totally down to earth statement that is. We all wanted a job on the dock no matter what the job entails, so lets be happy with our own job at not worry ourselves into a frenzy as to what our fellows workers do. We are all employed and are paid by the same company.

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    2. Very true!. Some people don't realise just how good enough have down here. It's time the "sky gods" had second licenses and redeployed when needed. Possibly even have some of the super visors working for their wages!.

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    3. At the port I work in everyone can operate nearly every piece of equipment which makes us very flexible and the supervisors are also very hands on.

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  10. At the port I work in everyone can operate most of the equipment which makes life easier and the supervisors are very hands on.

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  11. Crane drivers with second licences, what a great idea. Next we will want them to stop stitching people up, working a whole shift and slowing down cranes so they can go home instead of working another ship.

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    1. Our crane drivers have licences for at least 10 different types of plant.

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  12. Supervisers hands on, are you sure ours ride around in cars. Not knowing how to open the drivers door!

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    1. Its true honest,unless its raining.

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    2. Unheard of isnt it but true

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  13. I would like to see no pay rise in January but instead the incentive of an extra £15 a week for a second licence, reward the workers who want to see the port succeed!

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    Replies
    1. Go to the branch meeting at the end of this month and propose it as that is what a branch meeting is for.

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  14. I just know this going to open a can of worms and a heated debate !!!!! however 95% of people that slag another dockers job within the Port do not hold that relevant licence. So please if these jobs are so wonderful put in for the job and stop back biting as we are all DOCKERS that should be sticking together more than ever with a Port opening down the road with cheap casual labour.

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  15. This has all come from one crane driver asking for respect well in my book to get respect you have to earn it.

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  16. Maybe respect was the wrong word to use.Appreciation sounds better

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  17. Respect and appreciation for fellow full time employees whom all try to do their jobs as conscientiously as they can. From what ive seen of cheap agency workers they don't care a crap about equipment or other people, they work for an agency for a reason, i.e not able to get a proper job. There are of course a few agency lads that are OK but they only use agencies as a stepping stone. Stevedores/Dockers/Sky Gods whatever your acronym need to stick together.

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  18. The main reason for Thamesport's demise is the lack of investment by HPUK. If they had invested in new plant equipment Hyundai would still be there, the only reason they left was because they are bringing in newbuilds (13,000 teu I think) to their services, which Thamesport would struggle to service with their present plant equipment.

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  19. I think that the crane driver might have said that, with a smile on his face! It wasn't this one. Anything I might post, I will put my name to. I'm a great believer in speaking the truth. I cant do my job with out the rest of you, We need to be together in everything we do. That's from me up the crane to Donny on the canteen till, taking the money for my toasted sausage sandwich. But it seem that we have to many 'Hyenas' down here.

    'Hyena gonna do this, hyena gonna do that......'

    If anyone wants to buy my sausage sandwich for me, when I'm in the queue, it will be much appreciated.

    Crunch. (poor and hungry crane driver)

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  20. For everyone moaning on here the loss of Evergreen and Happag is just a sign that the lines are bleading heavily at present and consolidation is the only saviour. DPW will have to nearly give money away to attract the Big lines as there is additional Pilotage and Fuel costs involved getting into LGW. Let the dust settle on this and see where it goes the P3 forming will have a huge impact on 2014 as to who goes where and so on. Thamesport should be scaled back at this time due to NO vessels but i cannot see it closing in the mid-term. Granted Hutchinson have taking their eye off the ball on this one but attracting Macandrews is no mean feet who says CMA wont go back if McAndrews say how great it is. Whoever moves now into THP will get almost a free run at the berth allocation / cranes.

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    Replies
    1. A very well put and truthful statement, more people should take note of this to get an insight as to what is going on in the shipping / ports world.

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