Fresh chaos in Calais as ferry workers start fires and block road to port
Fresh chaos in Calais as ferry workers start fires and block road to port. PROTESTING ferry workers once again brought parts of Calais to a standstill today after they set fire to tyres and blocked road access to the port.. The French town has suffered from recurring strikes by staff and a build up of desperate migrants hoping to cross the channel to the UK. Today’s disruption threatens to cripple Eurotunnel services that have twice been halted in recent weeks amid the ongoing chaos. The firm has warned of “significant disruption” to train services if the motorway blockade in Calais is not removed by French police. A Eurotunnel spokesman said: “Due to the current situation in Calais, we recommend if travelling on a day return ticket today, you reschedule your journey. “We are aware that the Maritime Nord Union is blocking access to our French Terminal. As soon as we have further information, we’ll update you.” Eurotunnel added in a Tweet that the authorities were “working to remove the blockade”, adding that the company would accommodate delayed passengers on their “next departure with space available”. But foot passenger service Eurostar said their trains were “not experiencing any delays or problems caused by the Eurotunnel protests”. Around 3,000 migrants are camped at the French port, with some having used the temporary slowdown of vehicles queuing in traffic during the previous disruption to board lorries bound for the UK. Members of the Maritime Nord union are said to be behind today’s action. Travellers were earlier urged to reschedule their journeys, but the dispute is believed to be coming to an end, with police saying the blockade was due to end at 12pm BST. However, it is thought the protesters may be planning another dispute this afternoon. Crossings have been disrupted for more than three weeks after a strike by ferry workers unhappy with planned job losses.
.jpg)
