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MYFERRYLINK WORKERS HAVE FORCED THE CHANNEL TUNNEL TO SHUT AS PART OF THEIR BLOCKADE OF THE PORT OF CALAIS OVER JOB LOSSES PROTESTING MyFerryLink staff have again blockaded the port of
Calais and forced Channel Tunnel services to stop as part of their protest against the imminent ending of their ferry service. Blockages started yesterday after the Boulogne-sur-Mer
commercial court refused to allow an extension to the ‘Scop’ workers’ cooperative to continue running the service beyond tomorrow at midnight, when their contract with the ferry owners
Eurotunnel is set to come to an end. All ferries to Calais are cancelled in the second blockage in a week and today workers set tyres alight on the tracks 300m from the tunnel entrance and
then tried to dig up the tracks themselves. Eurostar said “Channel tunnel access is currently suspended due to fire on the tracks in Calais caused by demonstrators. Further updates to follow
shortly.” However, Eurotunnel later said all services were suspended until tomorrow. > Eurotunnel: 'Calais in chaos - migrants everywhere' after blockade > of burning tyres
on tracks http://t.co/XV2Csy4OVF > pic.twitter.com/t6bds3Kc0n— ITV News (@itvnews) June 30, 2015 Traffic on the A16 was badly affected with queuing freight traffic, which has also led to
new bids by illegal immigrants to clamber aboard stranded trucks. The workers' disruption came after Eurotunnel agreed to lease and then sell two of the three MyFerryLink Channel
ferries to the Danish ferry company DFDS. The deal become effective on Thursday and could mean the loss of half the MyFerryLink jobs. It comes after a legal battle with the British
competition authority CMA which ordered the closure of the MyFerryLink service which it said gave Eurotunnel unfair dominance of Dover to Calais transport. Ferry company P&O has diverted
many Calais-bound passengers to alternative ports, such as Dunkerque, but attacked the French government saying "they have effectively abandoned any attempt to maintain security at the
port of Calais". It also called on the UK government to get action to restore the link. > P&O Ferries reaction to industrial action at Calais > pic.twitter.com/a8WPypCyn6—
P&O Ferries (@POferries) June 30, 2015 The decision to sell the ships could mean the loss of about 300 jobs as DFDS has said it only expected to keep about 202 of a total of about 600
staff. A third Eurotunnel vessel which gives work to about 120 people, is being retained by Eurotunnel for freight. The economy and transport ministries have urged Eurotunnel to pursue
negotiations with the Scop members and to find “an acceptable solution with regard to jobs”.