French blockade hits ferry services

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SeaFrance suspended its services for 24 hours until Saturday as workers undertook a strike in protest over job losses at the firm.

P&O Ferries also announced it had suspended all crossings after one of its sailing ships from Dover, the Pride of Burgundy, was prevented from docking at Calais earlier on Friday.

P&O spokeswoman Michelle Ulyatt said: "We are currently in a situation where ferry services are suspended. Around 300 SeaFrance workers are congregating around the berths at Calais and they have a dinghy blocking one of the berths.

"We are transferring customers over to Eurotunnel and in the meantime putting as much pressure as possible on the French authorities to clear SeaFrance workers so we can continue our business."

Kent Police has implemented phase two of Operation Stack due to the industrial action in Calais preventing ferries from entering the port.

The coastbound carriageway of the M20 between junction 8 Leeds Castle and junction 9 Ashford West was closed to allow for queuing lorries heading for the Continent via Dover. Non-freight traffic was being diverted on to the A20.

French company SeaFrance announced in February it planned to cut up to 650 French staff following the economic downturn and a "steep fall" in the cross-Channel freight market. The Paris-based firm owned by French rail operator SNCF also said it proposed to downsize its fleet to reduce costs.

It has since revised its job-loss figure to 550, affecting mainly sea-going personnel and said parent company SNCF had made over 400 jobs available within the group for SeaFrance workers.

French staff representatives, however, are yet to give an opinion on the recovery plan and a further meeting is expected to take place on Monday.