National Mourning and Bank Holiday

On Thursday 8th September 2022 we were saddened to hear that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away, at the age of 96.  We send our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the Royal family at this difficult time.

The UK government has announced that Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral will be on Monday 19^th September, when a national bank holiday will mark the final day of the period of national mourning. 

In a mark of respect and in line with government advice, Simarco will be observing the Bank Holiday and closing for the day.

Port Of Liverpool Strike Dates Confirmed

Dock workers at the Port of Liverpool are now set to strike for two weeks from September 19th to October 3rd, as confirmed by the Unite trade union.

The upcoming strike follows a balot of the union’s Liverpool members which overwhelmingly resulted in a vote for industrial action over pay.

Unite are also the union that led workers out from Felixstowe port last month, another dispute over pay which remains ongoing and is expected to see further walk outs.

Liverpool port management state they have offered a well above average 8.3% increase, along with improvements to sick pay, pensions and shifts. Adding that wages at the port have grown by 42% in the past decade.

While the management are encouraging further talks, it seems likely that the walk out will still go ahead as planned, especially if the Felixstowe dispute is anything to go by.

Simarco are watching the situation closely and will continue to update with any major developments.

Simarco UAE Service Reducing Door Delivery Costs

Simarco’s air freight services to the United Arab Emirates are having a particularly big impact on customers who follow the full logistics costs to door.

In some cases, we have managed to provide UK exporters with DDU or DAP prices, in other words including the overseas local charges, that have been an improvement on existing rates which were priced to arrival.

Simarco’s services are based on direct services to Dubai, where our fantastic partner is able to clear customs and distribute throughout the seven Emirates at very competitive pricing.

Even for exporters that are not responsible for paying charges through to door, the ability to provide excellent local coverage at very reasonable prices can be viewed as a huge advantage for their customer(s) in the Emirates.

Our air freight team are so confident in the service that they are willing to offer free export and import clearance on the first shipment for new customers as a special promotional offer.

For a hassle free, ultra competitive price, please email george.fulcher@simarco.com

Import CDS Due Next Month – Are You Ready?

As we have communicated previously, HMRC will be changing the customs process for import and export ports by replacing the current CHIEF system. According to HMRC, the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) will be in place as outlined below.

• 30 September 2022 – CDS will replace CHIEF for UK import declarations.

• 31 March 2023 – CDS will replace CHIEF for UK export declarations..

Therefore, the import changes are effective NEXT MONTH.

ACTION IMPORTERS MUST TAKE NOW… 

1. All businesses MUST register themselves for CDS through their own Government Gateway portal. 
   Get access to the Customs Declaration Service – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
   
   A trader checklist is available from the GOV.UK website. To download, please use this link: 
   UK Trader Checklist: Moving to CDS 
   
2. Importers with Customs Deferment facilities MUST set up a new direct debit for their accounts to work with CDS. The current CHIEF direct debit will not work after 30th September.
   Set up CDS Deferment Direct Debit

Please note that if you have not registered for CDS prior to the dates outlined above, an export or import declaration cannot be made on your behalf. This will mean your goods are unable to export from UK (for UK departures) or clear UK customs (for UK arrivals).

 If you have any questions, please contact cdsenquiries@simarco.com 

Liverpool Port Now Facing Strike Action

As the Felixstowe port strike looks increasingly likely to proceed next week, news has emerged that Liverpool dock workers have also decided to strike.

The Unite union, who’s members voted for the upcoming strike at Felixstowe, balloted 500 Liverpool dock workers recently and 99% of the votes cast were in favour of industrial action. Once more, the union has described the port’s wage offer as effectively being a wage reduction due to high inflation.

There are no dates set for the Liverpool strike action as of yet, with the Union believed to be closing a ballot of 60 port engineers on Wednesday 24th August. This would appear to make it unlikely that the Liverpool strike will coincide with Felixstowe’s action.

While Liverpool is not a major player in the mass market of Asia, like Felixstowe and Southampton, it remains one of the UK’s largest container ports.

Simarco will continue to monitor the situation at both ports and will advise of any major updates.

Felixstowe Port Strike Set For Eight Days

A port strike at Felixstowe has now been set by the Unite union which will last for eight days this month, starting Sunday 21st and ending on Monday 29th August.

The date has been set after the latest round of negotiations between the port management and the workers union broke down, even though a revised offer was made.

Last week, members of the union were balloted and 92% of the votes cast were in favour of striking.

Since then, a revised increased pay offer of 7%, up from 5%, was made, but Unite continue to argue that considering inflation, the offer is effectively a pay cut.

The expected strike, at the UK’s largest container port, will have a negative impact on many imports and exports. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will update any further developments.

Felixstowe Port Set For August Strike

Felixstowe looks set for a strike next month after the most recent negotiations between the port management and the workers union broke down recently.

As a result, members of the Unite union have been balloted and 92% of the votes cast were in favour of striking. While there are no specific dates set, it is reported that Unite have paused for ‘a short window of opportunity’, to allow the port time to consider its position.

The dispute follows an increased pay offer from the Port of 5%, which follows on from a 1.4% rise the workers received last year. Unite argue that considering inflation is over 11%, what the port has offered is effectively a pay cut.

Any strikes at the UK’s largest container port will have a negative impact on many imports and exports, therefore we are hoping that some last minute agreement can be made.

In the meantime, we are watching the situation closely and will update any significant developments.

Dover Delays Impact European Transport

The chaos and delays at Dover, during the past few days, have been much publicised and have had a significant impact on the movement of goods to and from the continent.

This also led to similar delays in Folkestone, as both the public and transport operators looked for alternative means of travel.

Delays of up to 5/6 hours were experienced by most drivers from Friday through to Sunday, leading to Dover port declaring a ‘critical incident’. While it looks as though some normality has returned this morning, there are fears that the weekend’s chaos could be repeated during the summer.

The delays have been put down to additional checks since Brexit, the post pandemic return in demand, and being at the height of the holiday season.

Dover/Calais is the primary route for European imports and exports, with the weekends being key for vehicles to depart and return. Therefore, any ongoing disruption is likely to have a significant impact in getting some products delivered on time.

Simarco are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to update you with any major developments.

Simarco Ride for Brainwave

Simarco’s CEO (Chief Executive Officer) – Simon Reed – recently took part in the Ride103 charity bike ride, to raise funds for Brainwave our nominated charity.  

After a few close scrapes, which led to a couple of very sore legs, Simon managed to get around in one piece and was delighted to have raised £2,264 for a very worthy cause. 

Brainwave charity exists to help children with disabilities achieve greater independence by aiming to improve their mobility, communication skills and learning potential through a range of specialist therapies.

The charity work with children that have a wide range of conditions including: autism, cerebral palsy, and genetic disorders such as Down syndrome. Their therapists work with families to devise unique therapy programmes, designed around their child’s needs, which help and encourage them to enrich their lives and unlock their potential.

Simarco are proud to support and be associated with such a worthy charity and of course Simon, for such a fantastic achievement. For details of how you could get involved with Brainwave, please visit https://brainwave.org.uk/

Laura Is Now A Qualified Class 1 Driver

Back in March, we advised you how one of the many women, who play a critical role in our ongoing success, was determinedly moving towards gaining her own HGV1 driver’s license.

We are delighted to confirm that Laura has passed her test and is now a qualified HGV1 driver, becoming one of the 2% of heavy good drivers that are women.

Laura, pictured above, joined Simarco in November 2021 to work in transport as a van driver, although she was very focused on moving towards Class 1 driving.

Recognising Laura’s ambition, Simarco have worked with her to help her complete her ADR course, her theory tests and finally her Class 1 driving test, and we are now beaming with pride at her achievement.

With the industry always short of drivers, increasing the number of women in HGV1 cabs could be critical to the global supply chain over the coming years, and we hope Laura has helped pave the way for more women to move into HGV driving.

Laura has always had a passion for driving and Simarco’s support alongside her own determination has paid dividends. She remains very grateful for that support and we feel she is a trailblazer for other women in the industry.

Well done Laura!