With agreement that we would board a ferry on Friday afternoon, leaving Brittany Ferries free to fill their Thursday crossings with people who, unlike us were properly stuck. We let the leisure take hold.
Thursday, we set off in the morning for the South, down to Vannes and on to the coast. Some lovely new beaches, well after I looked at the map and decided Pont Groix looked interesting and we had bumped and lurched our way down a dead end country lane to an industrial looking oyster farm.
One of the big regrets of holiday was not having our camera. I was reduced to taking photos on the phone which, being s technophobe I am not sure how you get on to here.
We found two lovely beaches just down the coast from our more usual haunt at la Trinite sur mere. Beaches which would, in August be paved with people, which in September are a peaceful respite from the world. The student speculated that i had been having sea withdrawal symptoms.
In fact, whilst being in Brittany was great I think the uncertainty was starting to get to me. Every morning the Telegramme was carrying roughly the same story, talking continuing resolution no nearer.
Friday was of course the day we were due to return, then abruptly all Thursdays sailings were cancelled. calling Brittany Ferries, the really helpful staff said that Fridays sailings were all still scheduled but no one knew if they would actually sail.
To give some history, Brittany ferries has been sailing into trouble for a while. They reinvented themselves as a premier brand, bigger better more modern ferries than everyone else. The pricing has been too premium for too long. Frankly, people can save themselves lots of money by choosing other routes, and that is what they are doing.
The management has been looking to cut some corners and they seem to be targeting the crew. Traditionally BF crew enjoy good terms and conditions but these have been under the squeeze for a few years. As if making the crew do more for less would answer the basic dilemma and ease their 70 million Euro deficit.
The trouble seems to have started when the Armorique went on 24 hour strike on the previous Thursday. Meaning we had to land in Brest. Management responded by telling the crew to get off the ship, they were locked out. The crew responded by seizing the ship.
At this stage though they would still have gone back to work, but no management decided to deny the crew food. They relented that 24 h later.
Of course as news spread the whole fleet was paralysed as the crews stood together.
Negotiations were pretty tough but as I understand it the deal was sealed Wednesday. Management imposed a condition that it had to be signed by 10 am Thursday, the union arrived and signed. The manging director walked in then said he had changed his mind and walked out.
This is where the story that the crews are ready to sail comes from, they are all at their posts.
A further meeting was scheduled with the government as arbiter which BF failed to attend.
There is growing speculation that BF is on the verge of collapse. This could well be true, management have just announced they are solvent and have sufficient cash reserves to carry on, bearing in mind how true everything else they have said so far turned out to be....
But this of course was not helping us. Thursday afternoon arrived in an air of general uncertainty. Only one thing for it time to cook tea. Earlier in the week "tea" had been entrecote (steak) grilled on the open fire in our living room. Last year, when our roof was done, our Bay tree was very heavily cut back. So to do the stake I went into the garden and sawed some branches of bay which went on top of the charcoal and flared brightly giving off the distinctive smell of bay.
If you think that sounds pretty good you would of course be right. Thursday it was a very simple mean of beef boule with onions mushrooms bathed in Steak Au Poivre. I just include this to make it clear we really were slumming it!
Thursday afternoon morning arrived and more bad news, there was no ferry nor would there be till next week at least. Something had to give, an executive decision was reached. We would leave in the morning, let the loading commence .
R
Thursday, we set off in the morning for the South, down to Vannes and on to the coast. Some lovely new beaches, well after I looked at the map and decided Pont Groix looked interesting and we had bumped and lurched our way down a dead end country lane to an industrial looking oyster farm.
One of the big regrets of holiday was not having our camera. I was reduced to taking photos on the phone which, being s technophobe I am not sure how you get on to here.
We found two lovely beaches just down the coast from our more usual haunt at la Trinite sur mere. Beaches which would, in August be paved with people, which in September are a peaceful respite from the world. The student speculated that i had been having sea withdrawal symptoms.
In fact, whilst being in Brittany was great I think the uncertainty was starting to get to me. Every morning the Telegramme was carrying roughly the same story, talking continuing resolution no nearer.
Friday was of course the day we were due to return, then abruptly all Thursdays sailings were cancelled. calling Brittany Ferries, the really helpful staff said that Fridays sailings were all still scheduled but no one knew if they would actually sail.
To give some history, Brittany ferries has been sailing into trouble for a while. They reinvented themselves as a premier brand, bigger better more modern ferries than everyone else. The pricing has been too premium for too long. Frankly, people can save themselves lots of money by choosing other routes, and that is what they are doing.
The management has been looking to cut some corners and they seem to be targeting the crew. Traditionally BF crew enjoy good terms and conditions but these have been under the squeeze for a few years. As if making the crew do more for less would answer the basic dilemma and ease their 70 million Euro deficit.
The trouble seems to have started when the Armorique went on 24 hour strike on the previous Thursday. Meaning we had to land in Brest. Management responded by telling the crew to get off the ship, they were locked out. The crew responded by seizing the ship.
At this stage though they would still have gone back to work, but no management decided to deny the crew food. They relented that 24 h later.
Of course as news spread the whole fleet was paralysed as the crews stood together.
Negotiations were pretty tough but as I understand it the deal was sealed Wednesday. Management imposed a condition that it had to be signed by 10 am Thursday, the union arrived and signed. The manging director walked in then said he had changed his mind and walked out.
This is where the story that the crews are ready to sail comes from, they are all at their posts.
A further meeting was scheduled with the government as arbiter which BF failed to attend.
There is growing speculation that BF is on the verge of collapse. This could well be true, management have just announced they are solvent and have sufficient cash reserves to carry on, bearing in mind how true everything else they have said so far turned out to be....
But this of course was not helping us. Thursday afternoon arrived in an air of general uncertainty. Only one thing for it time to cook tea. Earlier in the week "tea" had been entrecote (steak) grilled on the open fire in our living room. Last year, when our roof was done, our Bay tree was very heavily cut back. So to do the stake I went into the garden and sawed some branches of bay which went on top of the charcoal and flared brightly giving off the distinctive smell of bay.
If you think that sounds pretty good you would of course be right. Thursday it was a very simple mean of beef boule with onions mushrooms bathed in Steak Au Poivre. I just include this to make it clear we really were slumming it!
Thursday afternoon morning arrived and more bad news, there was no ferry nor would there be till next week at least. Something had to give, an executive decision was reached. We would leave in the morning, let the loading commence .
R
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