Stranded ferry passengers returned to Britain

Several hundred Britons are back in the UK after being stranded amid a ferry worker strike in Roscoff.

Travel Insurance News - 17/09/2012

<< EasyJet: APD harming NI tourism | Travel News | American Airlines sees cancellations amid pilot protests >>

Several hundred Britons are back in the UK after being stranded amid a ferry worker strike in Roscoff.

Last week saw French labour unions call on employees of Brittany Ferries’ Armorique vessel to stage a 24-hour walkout, leaving nearly 700 passengers, including at least 400 Britons on the French side of the English channel after a sailing to Plymouth was cancelled on Thursday.

The move came amid the cross-channel ferry firm’s ongoing cost-cutting efforts, which include cuts to pay and hours for hundreds of employees. The firm has said that the measures are crucial to keeping Brittany Ferries competitive.

The company opted to agree to further talks with union officials, allowing the vessel to make its way to the UK in the evening hours on Friday.

Brittany Ferries UK managing director Steve Warner said in a statement that the firm wanted to apologise to passengers affected by the delay. He added however that the company was not notified of the strike action until it was very late.

Passenger James Hammond of Plymouth said to BBC reporters that it had slowly become clear that the wildcat would not be sailing to the UK on Thursday and that he managed to quickly find hotel accommodation Roscoff. He said that he enjoyed having an extra day of holiday in France but if the ship did not sail on Friday things “could have turned sour”.

<< EasyJet: APD harming NI tourism | Travel News | American Airlines sees cancellations amid pilot protests >>