Archives: July 2009 cargo news
The News stories below are cargo / freight related stories which made the headlines in July 2009 (other archived months are shown at the bottom of the page).
For all the latest Cargo News, click on the link on the left-hand side menu. ukimports.org
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31/07/09 - Halewood man gets 20 years for his part in £4.5m heroin and cocaine drugs plot
- Courtesy of The Liverpool Echo (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)A MAN was jailed for 20 years for his role in smuggling £4.5m of heroin and cocaine into the country.
Simon Madu was tracked down by investigators after his fingerprints were found on three suitcases stuffed with drugs.
Customs officials had stopped driver Stephen McNamee at Dover ferry port on September 1 last year.
A haul of 100kg of powder – 90.18kg of heroin and 10.97kg of cocaine – was seized from the car.
McNamee was arrested and jailed for eight years in December last year at Canterbury crown court after he admitted smuggling.
But further inquiries uncovered the fingerprints of Madu, 33, on the drugs wrappings.
He was arrested in Liverpool but told officers he had no knowledge of the drugs. ukimports.org
30/07/09 - Aircraft hit by lightning strike
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A passenger flight turned around after being struck by lightning shortly after take-off from Manchester Airport.
The BMI flight to Edinburgh was hit during a thunderstorm and the captain made the decision to return to the airport as a precaution.
No-one was injured in the incident at about 0730 BST and 17 passengers on board the aircraft took the next available flight. ukimports.org
30/07/09 - 16-mile tailbacks on M25
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)COMMUTERS travelling to London endured major delays today after two crashes closed part of the M25 for nearly four hours.
The first collision occurred between two cars and a lorry at around 6am on the anti-clockwise carriageway just before the M11 junction.
That area of the London Orbital was already reduced to two lanes due to large-scale road works taking place to widen the motorway.
And it is thought many more commuters opted to drive today because of the rail strikes which severely limited services on the lines.
A smash between two lorries then took place in the ensuing tailbacks, which stretched back 16 miles to the Lakeside area. ukimports.org
30/07/09 - Japan factory output rises again
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Japan's factory output rose for the fourth straight month in June, up 2.4% from May, as the manufacturing sector continued to recover.
For the April to June period, output rose 8.3% compared with January to March, which was the biggest quarter-on-quarter rise since 1953. ukimports.org
30/07/09 - Man charged after Gatwick arrest
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A man has been charged with possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence after he was arrested at Gatwick Airport.
David Sheehan, 46, of Curteys Walk, Bewbush, Crawley is due before magistrates in the town on Thursday.
It follows an incident at the West Sussex airport in the early hours of Wednesday when armed police used a Taser stun gun to subdue a suspect. ukimports.org
30/07/09 - Rail strike disrupts passengers
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Thousands of rail passengers face disruption for the next 48 hours as National Express East Anglia workers go on strike over pay and conditions.
Trains in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex will be affected, including routes into London and Stansted airport.
National Express warned it would only be able to run limited services and no replacement buses are available.
The strike is by the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) and Aslef unions.
A further three strikes are planned for next month. ukimports.org
29/07/09 - Fire breaks out at power station (Tilbury)
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A fire which broke out at a power station in Essex has been brought under control, the plant's owner has said.
Eight fire crews were sent to Tilbury Power Station in Fort Road after reports a turbine was "well alight". ukimports.org
29/07/09 - Fire crews stretched as another fire breaks out in Thurrock
- Courtesy of The Thurrock Gazette (www.thurrockgazette.co.uk)A LARGE fire has broken out in a pallet yard in Chadwell St Mary.
Crews from Ongar, Southend, Hawkwell and Billericay had to be called to the yard, on Sandy Lane, as crews from the Thurrock stations were busy battling the blaze at Tilbury Power Station. ukimports.org
29/07/09 - Man charged over £2m heroin haul
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A Dutch national has been charged with attempting to smuggle heroin worth an estimated £2m into the UK.
UK Border Agency officers said they found 99lb (45kg) of the Class A drug in a lorry's refrigerated trailer at Dover's Eastern Docks on Tuesday.
The vehicle, which arrived on a ferry from Calais, had been carrying a load of apples. ukimports.org
29/07/09 - Taser stops armed man at Gatwick
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A man who was spotted carrying a handgun has been shot with a Taser stun gun by police at Gatwick Airport.
The man, in his 40s, was disarmed by officers after he arrived at South Terminal in the early hours.
The alarm was raised after a passenger on a bus he boarded in Crawley, West Sussex, saw him with a gun, Sussex Police said.
Gatwick Airport said there was no suggestion that threats had been made to passengers or aircraft.
Sussex Police said a man was arrested and is currently being questioned. ukimports.org
29/07/09 - Losses up at BAA London airports
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Losses have tripled at the three London airports owned by BAA, due to a larger pension fund deficit and falls in the value of Heathrow's older terminals.
The Spanish-owned company said that pre-tax losses totalled £545.7m in the first six months of 2009, compared with £135.3m a year earlier.
However, the firm said both the income from flight and retail operations had increased over the period.
It said that passengers on average spent £4.72, up from £4.39 a year ago.
BAA said it remained in discussions over the sale of Gatwick airport but said it was not reliant on a sale to repay loans due to mature in 2010. ukimports.org
29/07/09 - Rail users face strike disruption
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Rail passengers were warned to expect disruption as staff providing services through Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex prepare to strike.
Hourly services will operate on the Stansted Express route and from Southend and Colchester to London.
Limited services at peak times only are planned between Norwich and London. ukimports.org
28/07/09 - Where is the BBC Box?
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The story of the BBC Box mirrors the fortunes of the global shipping industry.
It began its journey when global trade was booming. But in recent months, as global trade has slowed down, The Box has stayed in the same place.
The whole container shipping business has been hit hard by the economic downturn. ukimports.org
27/07/09 - Consultation on 'super-port' plan
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A public consultation has begun over plans by the owner of Southampton docks to build a huge container port near a major wildlife habitat in Hampshire.
Plans for a £600m "super-port" at Dibden Bay, near the New Forest, were blocked by the government in 2004.
But Associated British Ports (ABP) has published a 20-year Master Plan which states it wants a new port ready between 2021-2027. ukimports.org
27/07/09 - Trains strike action called off
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A union has called off all strike action at East Midlands Trains (EMT) and is to ballot members over a revised pay and conditions offer.
The train drivers' union Aslef had announced six days of strikes on Fridays and Mondays for the next three weeks in a row over pay.
But after talks with the firm in Derby last week a new deal was proposed. ukimports.org
27/07/09 - Postal strike in London continues
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)About 12,000 postal workers in London have walked out for a second day in a row over pay and job cuts.
The strike by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) began on Saturday and will end on Tuesday. This is the second strike by the union this month. ukimports.org
27/07/09 - Price cuts to trim Ryanair profit
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Budget airline Ryanair has said annual profits will be at the lower end of market expectations as it continues to cut fares to lure cash-strapped fliers.
Shares in the carrier fell by 10% after it warned its cheaper tickets strategy was eating into profits.
Rising passenger numbers and lower fuel bills helped it to make a 123m euros (£106.4m) net profit between April and June, from 21m euros last year.
It said it had reduced fares by 13% on average over the three months period.
And while this helped it to an 11% growth in passenger numbers from the same period a year earlier - revenues fell. ukimports.org
27/07/09 - Strikes to cause rail chaos this week
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)COMMUTERS are set to endure more rail chaos in a wave of strikes set for later this week.
Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union and the drivers' union Aslef working at National Express East Anglia will walk out on Thursday and Friday in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. ukimports.org
26/07/09 - Huge fire at pallet storage depot
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Eighty firefighters tackled a blaze at a large pallet storage depot in Northamptonshire during the night.
Crews were called to Larner Pallets in Rixon Road, Wellingborough, at about 0130 BST on Sunday.
Pallets, six storage units and wood chippings were on fire and crews from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and UK Operational Support were called in. ukimports.org
24/07/09 - Ferry services back to normal after delays
- Courtesy of The Kent Messenger (www.kentonline.co.uk)Ferry services have returned to normal - after hours of delays as a result of a computer glitch.
Hundreds of families heading to France were held up after P&O's check-in system went down.
It has now been fixed and the long queue of cars has now cleared. ukimports.org
24/07/09 - Plane evacuated after emergency
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A runway at Gatwick had to be closed after an aircraft diverted to the West Sussex airport was forced to make an emergency landing.
The 46 passengers on board the Flybe flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Cardiff were safely evacuated from the plane, airport operator BAA said.
The aircraft was later cleared from the runway, which has now reopened. ukimports.org
23/07/09 - Computer problem disrupts ferries
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Problems with a ferry operator's computerised check-in system have led to traffic disruption and delays for cross-Channel travellers.
The Port of Dover issued a warning to travellers saying the check-in system used by P&O had failed and there was a backlog of traffic.
The problem led to a row between rival operators. SeaFrance said P&O staff could not handle a manual check-in.
The computerised system was restored by 0930 BST, P&O said.
But sailings were running an hour late as a result of the earlier problems, P&O said. ukimports.org
24/07/09 - £70m scheme to improve signs on A14
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)A £70million project to improve signage on the A14 is set to start this summer following an injection of cash from the European Union.
Two sections of the road in Suffolk and one towards the junction with the M1 in Leicestershire will receive automatic queue warning and signing systems, with variable message signs and traffic queue detection loops, which will also be installed on parts of the A11, A12, and A45 where they join the A14.
More closed circuit television cameras will also be installed in strategic locations on the route, which links Felixstowe with the M1 and the M6. Main aim of the scheme is to reduce congestion, especially at peak times.
Work starts this summer and is expected to be completed by early next year between the M1 and junction 14 of the A14 near Thrapston in Cambridgeshire, including the entire section in Northamptonshire.
Starting this autumn until early 2010, the electronic improvements will be installed between Thurston near Bury St Edmunds until the junction with the A11 to the west of Newmarket.
The final section to receive the upgrade runs from north of Ipswich to the Felixstowe docks spur. Work starts in the winter with completion expected in the summer of 2010. ukimports.org
23/07/09 - Portworker's family nearing justice
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)HEARTBROKEN relatives of an Ipswich port worker who died in a horrific accident were today a major step forward in their long pursuit of justice.
Cargo handler Brian Vince was struck by a vehicle while loading a ferry in March 2007 - prompting a major investigation, an inquest and criminal proceedings.
But this week his family was given new hope of moving on from the tragedy when his bosses accepted responsibility for the incident which caused him fatal injuries.
The development follows a lengthy probe by the Health and Safety Executive and an inquest, which ruled that the accident had come about as a result of “vulnerable working conditions” at Ipswich port.
Associated British Ports (ABP) pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act when the company appeared before magistrates in Ipswich on Monday. ukimports.org
23/07/09 - Japan's export slide slows down
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The slide in Japan's exports slowed in June in a sign government stimulus spending around the world may be propping up demand.
But they were still 35.7% lower than the same month a year earlier.
Japan, dependent on exports for growth, has been suffering its steepest recession since World War II.
It is a sign of just how badly Japan's economy has been battered that a drop in exports of more than one-third is hailed as perhaps a positive sign. ukimports.org
22/07/09 - Now let's scrap crossing tolls!
- Courtesy of The Kent Messenger (www.kentonline.co.uk)There are renewed calls today for the toll at the Dartford Crossing to be scrapped.
For most of the day yesterday, traffic was allowed to pass through for free because a massive power cut in the area meant some of the booths could not operate.
The tolls were originally set up to pay for the tunnel and later the QEII bridge but despite those both being paid for, the tolls remain.
The Government claims it is because they provide a vital role in controlling traffic around the M25. ukimports.org
22/07/09 - £6m: the cost of April's port blockades
- Courtesy of The Kent Messenger (www.kentonline.co.uk)Six million pounds - that's how much April's port blockade cost our economy.
The staggering figure is what's being claimed as Kent small firms make an official complaint to the French government today.
Now some firms are going to the wall as a result of the financial burden caused by the blockades, they claim.
The FSB claims small firms lost an average of £800 during the four-day dispute and the wider haulage industry loses £1 million for every day Calais is shut.
The group has 7,000 members across Kent and Medway, and is claiming the French government is in breach of its obligations under the EC treaty. ukimports.org
22/07/09 - People 'unaware' airport exists
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Leaflets advertising a South Yorkshire airport have been sent to more than 200,000 households after managers agreed many were unaware it existed.
Robin Hood Airport, in Doncaster, opened in 2005.
Minutes from a meeting of the airport's project board said members "agreed that many people are largely unaware that [the airport] exists".
A mail drop of leaflets and magazines has been organised in an attempt to draw in more passengers. ukimports.org
22/07/09 - Airline complaints 'on the rise'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Complaints from customers about the airline industry have risen by 11% in a year, a consumer support group says.
The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) handled 12,307 complaints and enquiries in 2008-9, compared with 11,077 the previous year.
Cancellations, delays and mishandled baggage topped the gripes list but new technology has also led to new types of complaints, the AUC said.
It accepted that complaints came from a "tiny" minority of passengers. ukimports.org
21/07/09 - Continental makes 1,700 job cuts
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Continental Airlines has said that it is to cut 1,700 jobs amid a slump in revenue and passenger numbers.
The airline is also increasing its fees for checking in bags and for making reservations by telephone.
The airline lost $213m (£129.9m) between April and June, after many business passengers put off travel or bought cheaper tickets.
Other US rivals fared better, with both United and Southwest reporting profits for the same period. ukimports.org
21/07/09 - Council rejects freight site plan
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Councillors have rejected plans for a rail freight interchange in Hertfordshire for the second time.
HelioSlough Ltd wanted to build the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) on a 1,035 acre (419 hectare) site on North Orbital Road, St Albans.
St Albans City and District Council rejected the proposal because the development would be in the green belt separating outer London and St Albans. ukimports.org
21/07/09 - Building collapses into Liverpool’s dock road
- Courtesy of The Liverpool Echo (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)A WAREHOUSE partially collapsed and poured rubble onto Liverpool’s dock road.
Police were called to Lascar House, in Waterloo Road, between the junctions with Vandries Street and Oil Street, at 3.50am today to find part of the building had come down, covering the pavement and one side of the road with debris.
Until 1971, the premises were the offices of the Beldam Asbestos Company.
Council teams will now assess any potential danger on the site.
A police van was stationed at the scene early today, directing pedestrians around the area.
Most drivers travelling to the city centre do not use the road because it was closed for roadworks some time ago.
But the area is a popular parking spot for city centre workers and onlookers said it was fortunate the collapse did not happen later in the day. ukimports.org
21/07/09 - Air crew member held in drug find
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)An airline crew member has been arrested at Gatwick Airport after cocaine with an estimated street value of £40,000 was seized.
The crew member was held after UK Border Agency officers found 2.2lb (1kg) of the drug in baggage at the West Sussex airport.
It followed the arrival of a Ghana Airways flight from Accra. ukimports.org
21/07/09 - Depot plan 'will create 550 jobs'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Up to 550 jobs could be created when two new Thameslink train depots are constructed in London and Sussex.
Network Rail said it planned to build depots at Three Bridges, Sussex, and Hornsey, north London, to accommodate the longer Thameslink trains.
A spokesman for the company said the depots would create 550 permanent jobs and also boost the local economies.
The buildings, which are part of a £5.5bn scheme to improve Thameslink, will take about 18-months to construct. ukimports.org
21/07/09 - Ryanair reduces Stansted flights
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Budget airline Ryanair has announced a reduction in its services at Stansted Airport, blaming higher charges.
Ryanair will reduce the number of aircraft it runs at the airport by 40% in its winter schedule, and will cut the number of flights by 30%, it said.
But it will operate only four fewer planes than it did last winter.
The company said that Stansted was one of its most expensive bases, and added that an increase in air passenger duty tax was also a factor in its decision.
The airline operated 40 aircraft from Stansted in the summer, but said this would fall to 24 this winter.
Last winter, Ryanair also cut its Stansted fleet to 28 planes from 36 in the summer. ukimports.org
21/07/09 - A1 drivers warned of long delays
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Motorists are being warned to prepare for long delays on the A1 in Gateshead during work to strengthen a bridge.
From Saturday, the road's southbound carriageway will be closed for three weeks between the Kingsway and Eighton Lodge junctions.
A Highways Agency spokesman said the £1.5m scheme is expected to cause "severe delays".
The repairs are essential to reinforce the road, which crosses the East Coast Mainline, he said. ukimports.org
20/07/09 - Airport begins noise consultation
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Residents are being asked for their views on a new plan to manage noise at Manchester Airport.
The airport has a range of noise policies, including restricting the use of noisy aircrafts at night, but the aim is to make further improvements.
Environmental Health officers from across the region have been working with the airport's environment experts for two years to produce a new policy.
Residents are being asked for their views before the policy is finalised. ukimports.org
19/07/09 - UK set to take back Brazil waste
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The UK is working with Brazilian authorities to return more than 1,400 tonnes of toxic waste to Britain, the Environment Agency has said.
Head of waste Liz Parks said plans were being made to bring back the rubbish, but it could take a number of weeks.
An inquiry into how the waste, including syringes, condoms and bags of blood, was sent to three Brazilian ports has been launched by the UK.
The Environment Agency says those responsible could face prosecution. ukimports.org
18/07/09 - European cash to boost rail links
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A project to upgrade a rail line linking East Anglia to the Midlands has been awarded £8m of European funding.
The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) said the money had been provisionally allocated to the scheme but will be confirmed in September.
The project will allow more freight to be moved by rail from the ports of Felixstowe, Suffolk, and Harwich, Essex to help reduce congestion on the roads.
It would also avoid the existing and congested rail route via north London. ukimports.org
17/07/09 - Postal staff set to strike again
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Industrial action at the Royal Mail is set to escalate with strike action scheduled for three days next week, the BBC has learned.
The strike action on 25, 27 and 28 July comes on top of Friday's one-day walkout by 12,000 Royal Mail employees.
The escalating action is in defence of workers who, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) say, are being unduly pressured by Royal Mail managers.
The Royal Mail has accused the union of standing in the way of modernisation. ukimports.org
17/07/09 - Class A drugs seized at port
- Courtesy of The Kent Messenger (www.kentonline.co.uk)For the second time in a few days, significant quantities of Class A drugs have been seized at Dover Ferry Port.
A man from North Wales is due to appear in court today after officers from the UK Border Agency seized approximately 120 kilos of heroin worth about £5.4 million and about six kilos of amphetamine sulphate worth about £60,000 at Dover's Eastern Docks. ukimports.org
17/07/09 - BA announces plan to raise £600m
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)British Airways plans to raise £600m to help it get through difficult trading conditions, the airline has said.
It will issue £300m in convertible bonds to existing shareholders and release bank guarantees from its UK defined benefit pension schemes.
Observers say the carrier wants a safety net in case it faces industrial action from cabin crew over pay, as well as tough summer trading. ukimports.org
17/07/09 - Postal staff stage 24 hour strike
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)More than 12,000 postal workers are to go on strike in a dispute over "arbitrary" job cuts and pay.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in areas such as London, Edinburgh and Bristol will participate in the 24-hour strike.
However the Royal Mail said almost all postal services outside London would be operating normally despite the strike. ukimports.org
17/07/09 - Full Steam Ahead For £8 Million Rail Route Funding
- Courtesy of Felixstowe TV (www.felixstowetv.co.uk)Eight million pounds of European funding has been provisionally allocated to develop the Felixstowe to Nuneaton rail route, it was reported today at the Annual General Meeting of the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) in Hertford.
The application for funding was approved by EU Member State government officials in Brussels this week and will go before a Committee of MEPs for final sign-off in September.
The rail line between Felixstowe and Nuneaton is part of a significant European transport route and improvements will allow more freight to be shifted from the port by rail, reducing congestion on the A14. ukimports.org
17/07/09 - New plane stacking system will not solve Heathrow expansion problem
- Courtesy of The Hounslow & Chiswick Guardian (www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk)A new system for cutting the number of planes queuing in the skies around Heathrow airport will not reduce noise pollution, council’s opposed to expansion have said.
The 2M Group, which represents some five million people under the airport’s flightpath and includes Wandsworth Council, was responding to a recommendation from the transport select committee report on the use of airspace.
MPs want the Government to set targets for cutting plane stacking and making the air traffic management system at Heathrow more resilient when it builds a third runway.
But campaigners said the issue of stacking was secondary to the amount of noise and environmental pollution a third runway, the building of which has been approved by Government, would cause. ukimports.org
17/07/09 - Brazil anger over toxic UK waste
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Brazilian police are investigating after 64 containers with more than 1,400 tonnes of hazardous UK waste were found in three of the country's ports.
The authorities say that among the material which was brought in illegally they discovered batteries, syringes, condoms and nappies.
Since the initial discovery, another 25 containers with hospital waste were found, also apparently from England.
In a statement the British Embassy in Brazil promised "immediate steps".
It said the UK was completely opposed to any kind of illegal trade in waste. ukimports.org
16/06/09 - Delays on the A14 due to puncture
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)JADED rush hour motorists faced huge delays this evening - all thanks to a lorry tyre puncture.
The blow-out on the A14 near Ipswich affected thousands of motorists, with tail-backs reported across the town.
The incident, which took place shortly after 5pm, blocked the Stowmarket-bound carriageway just before the Orwell Bridge.
The vehicle's tyre had to be replaced, causing hold-ups as workers navigated their way home.
One driver described the situation as “utter chaos”. ukimports.org
16/07/09 - New slip road aids port traffic
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A £4.5m slip road is being opened at a Kent port, ensuring a much smoother getaway for ferry passengers.
Cars and lorries leaving the Port of Dover will be able to access the A2 and A20 roads far quicker than before.
Dover Harbour Board has estimated that the road will save freight operators about £12,000 a day due to the faster exit times.
The road is opening ahead of one of the busiest weekends of the year, when families head off for summer holidays. ukimports.org
14/07/09 - BA pilots to accept 2.6% pay cut
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)British Airways pilots have voted overwhelmingly to accept a 2.6% pay cut, the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) has announced.
The cut is designed to save the troubled airline up to £26m a year in running costs. In return, the pilots have the chance to receive BA shares.
BA has been striving to cut costs in the recession. In May, it reported a record annual loss of £401m. ukimports.org
14/07/09 - BA workers protest at key meeting
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Dozens of union representatives for British Airways have been protesting outside the airline's AGM against its cost-cutting plans.
Steve Turner of union Unite said the message for shareholders was serious, and sought "a sensible way forward".
BA boss Willie Walsh told shareholders job cuts were vital to its survival. BA aims to cut 1,000 administrative staff and 2,000 cabin crew. ukimports.org
14/07/09 - Postal workers' strike announced
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)More than 12,000 postal workers are to strike on Friday in a row over jobs, pay and services, the Communication Workers Union has announced.
The 24-hour strike will affect cities ranging from Edinburgh to Plymouth.
The union has accused Royal Mail of cutting the pay of employees and reducing services.
Royal Mail condemned the action, saying the union was resisting modernisation and said 90% of its staff would still be working on Friday.
Dave Ward, the union's deputy general secretary, said: "There are serious and growing problems in the postal sector which urgently need resolving. ukimports.org
13/07/09 - Man hurt in port crane collapse
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A man suffered life-threatening injuries when a crane collapsed on to a ship at a container port.
Fire crews were called to Southampton Docks, owned by DP World, at Dock Gate 20 in Western Avenue, at 0520 BST.
The crane, a twin boom rig with the cab suspended on rails, toppled on to the ship, Nyke Themis, the coastguard said.
It is the second serious incident involving crane operations this year and the Unite union said it has "deepened concerns" over worker safety.
Matt Tipper, Unite regional industrial organiser, said the injured man is one of its members. ukimports.org
Also on this same story:
- Courtesy of The Southern Daily Echo (www.dailyecho.co.uk)
13/07/09 - Southampton Container Port needs Dibden Bay development, say bosses
- Courtesy of The Southern Daily Echo (www.dailyecho.co.uk)IT’S the heartbeat of the Solent economy, supporting 77,000 jobs and generating £5.5 billion.
Since the dark days of the 1970s, Southampton docks has become a massive success story, growing to become one of the biggest cruise ports in the world and handling one fifth of the UK’s container traffic.
Despite the global recession, which has hit port business hard, docks bosses are predicting a huge surge in trade over the next 20 years.
There’s just one problem they say – they are running out of room.
As reported by the Daily Echo more than a month ago, port chiefs remain committed to controversial plans for a new container terminal on Dibden Bay.
Now, what amounts to a 130-page argument for the £600m project, ABP’s draft Port of Southampton Masterplan 2009, is to be unveiled to city businesses at the Port City Future’s conference at the Ocean Terminal today. ukimports.org
13/07/09 - Heathrow expansion 'worth £30bn'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)For every year the third runway at Heathrow is delayed the UK economy loses between £900m and £1.1bn, according to business leaders.
The extra runway could be worth up to £30bn to the entire country over 60 years, said a report commissioned by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
A third runway would save business passengers time and increase their productivity, the report found.
But the Tories said the report did not address the environmental damage.
Ministers approved plans for the third runway in January. ukimports.org
13/07/09 - China airline buying local rival
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)China Eastern Airlines is to buy its smaller rival Shanghai Airlines, in an all-share deal set to be worth about 7bn yuan ($1bn; £637m).
Under the announcement, each share of Shanghai Airlines will be exchanged for 1.3 China Eastern shares.
China Eastern will also raise 7bn yuan via a share issue.
The takeover will give China Eastern control of more than 50% of flights from its Shanghai base. Analysts said the deal would "relaunch" the carrier. ukimports.org
09/07/09 - Imports fall shrinks UK trade gap
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Falling consumer demand for products from overseas has helped to narrow the UK trade deficit, according to the latest set of official figures.
The deficit in goods and services was £2.2bn in May from £3bn in April, the Office for National Statistics said.
The deficit on trade in goods alone was £6.3bn, a three-year low.
Investec analyst David Page said that the ONS figures were "showing consumers in distress rather than a strong exports picture". ukimports.org
09/07/09 - Mail staff strike for second day
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Royal Mail workers in London have gone on strike for a second day in a row over jobs and pay.
Distribution and logistics staff are taking part in the three-day strike amid claims of pay cuts and service cutbacks without modernisation.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said Royal Mail was the "biggest block to modernisation".
But bosses said the union was "halting existing efforts to modernise Royal Mail in London".
Delivery staff walked out on Wednesday and mail centre staff will strike on Friday, the final day of the action. ukimports.org
08/06/09 - Jail terms for cigarette smugglers
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)A RACKETEERING gang of illegal immigrants who targeted Felixstowe in a multi-million pound smuggling plot are behind bars today.
The four Chinese nationals received a total of ten years in jail after undercover customs officers foiled their cigarette and tobacco operation, which evaded £2.6 million in tax. ukimports.org
08/06/09 - Resort £2.8m revamp will cut congestion (Felixstowe)
- Courtesy of The Ipswich Evening Star (www.eveningstar.co.uk)FELIXSTOWE'S shopping centre is to be given a £2.8 million revamp to make it people-friendly and cut car congestion and danger.
Work on the first phase of the ambitious scheme will get under way this autumn, it emerged today.
The project is a major part of the blueprint being drawn up to regenerate the resort and will make shopping a more attractive experience, create an outside performance area for bands and street entertainers, and change some of the most-used traffic routes.
The first phase will see the stretch of Hamilton Road between Boots and Bank Corner turned into a pedestrian-friendly area, with all pavements and kerbing and signs removed, and one surface and more trees and benches added.
All parking will be removed, except for a few spaces for disabled blue badge holders and delivery vehicles. ukimports.org
08/06/09 - Hundreds join Facebook campaign over lorry parking problem
- Courtesy of The Kent Messenger (www.kentonline.co.uk)More than 750 people have joined a Facebook group called 'HGV Lorries Parked on Monument Way South Willesborough Must Go'.
The group on the social networking website was created just over a fortnight ago.
Double yellow lines are due to be painted on the roads of Orbital Business Park in the hope they will prevent lorry drivers parking at the business park and encourage them to use the official truckstop nearby instead. ukimports.org
08/07/09 - M25 widening to four lanes begins
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)The start of the widening of the M25 has been officially marked by Transport Minister Sadiq Khan.
Mr Khan was at Denham, Buckinghamshire, where a section of the motorway is to be widened from three lanes to four.
The £580m project covers a 22-mile (35km) stretch between junction 16 and junction 23, where the motorway meets the A1M in Hertfordshire.
Mr Khan said the "vital" scheme would "tackle the nuisance of congestion" which has grown 40% since work began.
The widening is part of a £6.2bn, 30-year work-and-maintenance contract for the M25. ukimports.org
07/07/09 - Qantas admits cargo price-fixing
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Qantas Airways has pleaded guilty to being part of a conspiracy to fix air cargo prices on routes from Canada between May 2002 and February 2006.
It has been fined 155,000 Canadian dollars ($133,000; £82,000) by Canada's Competition Bureau.
Air France, KLM and Martinair have previously pleaded guilty to the price-fixing charges.
The bureau said that all four had admitted fixing surcharges on routes leaving Canada.
It added that the investigation into other air cargo carriers was continuing. ukimports.org
07/07/09 - Channel ferry doors 'left open'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Watertight doors on a cross-Channel ferry were regularly left open while it was at sea, a report has found.
The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) published its findings after an engine-room fitter was hurt on the passenger ferry Eurovoyager.
The fitter was found trapped in a hydraulically-operated steel watertight door in a machinery space as the vessel sailed for Ramsgate, Kent, in November.
The operator TransEuropa Shipping Lines said it would not be commenting.
The MAIB has called for improvements to both UK and European shipping safety. ukimports.org
06/07/09 - 'Pictograms' make motorway debut
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Drivers on the M23 in Surrey and around Gatwick Airport will start to see new signs on the motorway - using pictures as well as words - from next week.
At the moment the motorway signs are only able to display text messages in block capitals.
Now the Highways Agency is changing the display on 20 existing overhead signs to show pictures as well as words.
The "pictograms" are based on familiar road signs such as those for accidents, queues, high winds and skid risk.
The symbols are inside red warning triangles which are recognisable from some distance away.
Because they are easy for all road users to read and react accordingly, they can help to make roads safer, the Highways Agency said. ukimports.org
06/07/09 - Anti-airport bomb hoaxer jailed
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)An anti-airport protester who sent a series of bomb hoaxes and threats to Gatwick Airport in West Sussex over five-years has been jailed.
Gary Collins, from Crawley, took direct action against aircraft noise after suffering from noise disturbance as a young child, Lewes Crown Court heard.
He admitted 34 counts of communicating false information and three counts of sending hoax noxious substances.
The 57-year-old was jailed for three-and-a-half years. ukimports.org
06/07/09 - BA staff reject cost-cutting plan
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A mass meeting of more than 2,000 British Airways cabin crew workers has rejected the airline's plans to reduce costs by cutting jobs and freezing pay.
Staff said they were not prepared to accept an "assault" on their pay, terms and conditions.
Conciliation service Acas will chair a meeting between BA and unions on Wednesday to try to reach an agreement. ukimports.org
06/07/09 - Runway rename as North Pole moves
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Stansted Airport in Essex has renamed its 3,000m (9,750ft) runway because the position of the Earth's magnetic North Pole has moved.
The runway was known by pilots and air traffic controllers as 23/05 because of its location and compass heading.
The magnetic North Pole drifts naturally, and every 50 years its position alters significantly.
Managers at Stansted decided they must call the runway 22/04 to reflect the new position and bearing. ukimports.org
03/07/09 - North West Chambers of Commerce report positive shift in business confidence
- Courtesy of The Liverpool Echo (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)CHAMBERS of Commerce across the north west claim business confidence has improved significantly.
The latest quarterly economic survey from Chambers of Commerce North West, which includes input from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, found that UK orders and turnover in both services and manufacturing sectors had markedly improved.
Overseas orders deteriorated slightly for services, but stabilised for manufacturing.
And although 24% of firms in the service sector were working at full capacity compared with 33% this time last year, while 18% of manufacturers hit full capacity compared with 32% last year, both service sectors reported improving cash flow conditions and the percentage of businesses reducing staff numbers is starting to stabilise. ukimports.org
02/07/09 - Airport's £50m revamp completed
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)A £50m overhaul of Terminal One at Manchester Airport has been completed - based on the advice of psychologists.
The experts helped assess where travellers may experience stress before going on holiday - such as car parking, security and check-in.
The two-year project includes enlarged "airside" shopping areas, scanners and facial recognition computers.
The tightened security climate has seen the airport abolishing shops sited before security check points.
Andrew Cornish, managing director for Manchester Airport, said: "Our terminal redesigns have had to withstand the test of time with the liquid ban and the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport." ukimports.org
02/07/09 - Indian growth of 7% 'is possible'
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)India could achieve growth of 7% in the current year and more in coming years if the right reforms are made, a report from the finance ministry said.
The economic survey was released ahead of Monday's budget.
Among the reforms suggested was the reform of subsidies for fuel, food and fertiliser, a privatisation programme and investment in infrastructure.
Some analysts predict that the Congress Party's decisive election victory could speed up the economic reform programme. ukimports.org
01/06/09 - Huge rush hour delays after truck flips over (near Thamesport)
- Courtesy of The Kent Messenger (www.kentonline.co.uk)An overturned lorry on a roundabout on the Wainscott bypass caused serious delays for motorists on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The accident happened on the A228/A289 roundabout at the bottom of Four Elms Hill at around 2.25pm.
A small fire broke out close to the stricken vehicle after some diesel spilled onto the road. The HGV was thought to be blocking the exit leading to Hoo Road and Hollywood Lane.
The driver managed to get himself out of the lorry without serious injury.
The crash caused major tailbacks in the area, which were made worse by a second accident nearby. ukimports.org
01/07/09 - Jobs risk as Virgin cuts flights
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Virgin Atlantic, the airline majority-owned by Sir Richard Branson, says it will cut back on winter services and may cut up to 600 jobs.
Virgin said its daily Heathrow to Chicago service will not operate this winter and it would suspend one of two daily London to Hong Kong flights.
Total capacity would be 7% lower than in winter 2008/09, it added. ukimports.org
01/07/09 - Signs of recovery for UK industry
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)UK manufacturing activity shrank at its slowest pace for a year in June, a survey has indicated, adding to hopes that the worst of the downturn is over.
The Purchasing Managers' Index from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) said the pace of decline in new orders continued to ease.
And for the first time in 15 months, the output index was positive, indicating increased production.
CIPS said there were signs the sector may be coming out of recession.
The news suggests that after the sharp fall in GDP in the first three months of the year, the figures are likely to be better for the rest of the year. ukimports.org
01/07/09 - Business mood improves in Japan
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)Business confidence in Japan has improved for the first time in two-and-a-half years, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey.
The confidence index for major manufacturers rose to minus 48 from a record low of minus 58 in March.
Factories have begun to come back to life, amid signs Japan may be through the worst of its steepest recession since World War II. ukimports.org
01/07/09 - BA calls negotiators over pay row
- Courtesy of The BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)British Airways says it has asked the conciliation service Acas to intervene in a bid to reach a deal with unions on jobs and pay.
Talks between BA and the Unite and GMB unions over cost savings at the airline have so far failed to reach agreement.
BA wants staff to accept a two-year pay freeze, according to documents seen by the BBC.
The company had already announced it was looking for 3,000 redundancies among crew and administrative staff. ukimports.org
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