IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - Pending Strike Action

The Public and Civil Services Union, whose Members include HMRC, UKBA, and DEFRA personnel has switched the date of the next national strike from Friday 19th March to Wednesday 24th March, Budget Day. On Friday 19th March there may be some disruption as the union plans to hold mass campaigning days in towns and cities.

HMRC and UKBA implemented largely successful contingency plans during the last industrial action taken on the 8th/9th March, it is anticipated that similar plans will be implemented on the 24th March to minimise the disruption. Currently the movement and control of international freight only requires intervention by UKBA personnel in certain circumstances, for instance Route 2 examinations, Carnet endorsement and other regimes where specific border controls have to be applied.

The NCH will be analysing their staff?s intentions and will do all that is possible to ensure that they have sufficient staff to provide an acceptable service, although there may be some slippage in the target levels for Route 1 clearances. However, as HMRC rely on the UKBA to conduct physical inspections on their behalf some delays are likely on Route 2 clearances and it is something that the NCH are not able to control.

"Training is still important when times are tough", says UK freight forwarders association.

The British International Freight Association (www.BIFA.org) has never doubted the vital importance of training to any organisation involved in freight activity.

BIFA continues to believe that training is a worthwhile investment in the good times and now with the economic chill being felt across the business world, a properly trained staff will be of any business’s survival strategy.

The advantages of putting time and effort into staff training speak for themselves. Employees gain greater confidence and undertake their work with fewer costly errors. Improved customer service cements existing business relationships and helps retain customers. Staff and managers respond to training investment with higher morale and greater job satisfaction, which in turn is reflected in higher staff retention.

Peter Quantrill, BIFA Director General, offers the following as the best way to providing training within any freight organisation: “The key to successful training provision is an understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to who is trained and how they are trained. Each role has different responsibilities and levels of activity, so the training provided must be appropriate for that level or it is a waste for the provider and employee.

“At BIFA, we take very seriously the provision we make for providing industry training. We understand the demands on any business are many, especially in these troubled times, which is why we keep our courses short, pertinent and relevant to both employer and employee. We provide many opportunities to undertake training throughout the year at a number of locations to minimise the inevitable disruption having staff out of the office creates.

“We keep content up to date and timely in line with existing legislation, planned changes in legislation and best practice and all our courses offer practical learning from our pool of experienced and qualified trainers. That is why I say to anyone involved in freight activity - BIFA has a training solution for you.”

The Department for Transport has accredited BIFA’s training programme submitted for approval under the new Air Cargo Security syllabus, meaning that all BIFA air cargo security courses comply with the new syllabus.

The new syllabus, introduced in 2008, sets out new levels of training for staff involved in the handling and documentation of goods destined for export by air. All staff holding existing certificates at Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4 must migrate to the new syllabus as below:

- Level 4 Replaced by Level A or B
- Level 1 Replaced by Level D or E
- Level 2 Replaced by Level F
- Level 3 Replaced by Level G

The new syllabus makes clear that all air cargo security training must be refreshed every two years, removing the ambiguity surrounding refresher training at Levels 3 and 4 in the past.

Mr Quantrill adds: “As a training provider, by obtaining this new accreditation we demonstrate our determination to provide the best and most timely training for the air freight sector.

“However, as a trade organisation whose members are involved in all modes of freight movement, we do not overlook their requirements and have a suite of training courses suitable for staff in all aspects of Freight Forwarding, Dangerous Goods, Aviation Security, Customs Procedures and Health and Safety.

BIFA gives qualified support over third runway at Heathrow

The British International Freight Association has given qualified support to the UK government’s decision to allow a third runway at Heathrow airport.

“The stringent environmental conditions attached to the go-ahead, the possibility that a future administration could reverse the decision and the likelihood of a lengthy planning process means that this is far from a ‘done-deal’, “says BIFA Director General, Peter Quantrill.

“Investment in an essential part of the UK’s infrastructure is required as a matter of urgency to relieve the congested conditions that are currently endured by all.

“The lack of runway capacity at Heathrow has been a major contributory factor to the increased congestion and delays faced by our members who move airfreight through Heathrow.

“An additional runway would offer much needed capacity and also the resilience to maintain integrity of schedules when operational problems are encountered.

“At present, the airport ranks fourth in Europe for airfreight throughput and the new runway will help Heathrow to maintain its status as a key global airfreight hub.”

UK Forwarders welcome end of Conference system

The trade association for UK freight forwarders believes that tomorrow heralds a new era for shipping and trade liberalisation, as shipping line conferences will no longer be permitted in any trades between the EU and the rest of the world from midnight tonight.

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has lobbied the EU Commission bilaterally and through its EU-level trade body, CLECAT, over a number of years, for a proper market in the provision of containerised liner shipping services between the EU and the rest of the world. Along with organisations representing its members’ customers, BIFA is pleased to have helped achieve this significant breakthrough.

Shipping lines still have a set of EU Commission guidelines to work to, explaining how carriers may operate going forward. Also, consortia are still permitted (EC Council Regulation 823/2000 is currently under review). However, henceforth it will be unlawful for shipping lines to fix freight rates, any additional charges (CAF and BAF), or capacity on a collective basis.

Lines will also have to be very careful about what information they exchange with one another or risk litigation with competition authorities which can, in certain circumstances, conceivably result in fines amounting to 10% of a company’s global turnover, not to mention the legal recourse each customer may have.

It is also believed that, apart from the above, this prohibition on ‘price-fixing’ between competitors extends to any other component that makes up the total price of the service, including surcharges, terminal handling charges and so on.

Comments BIFA Director General, Peter Quantrill: “No one can know for certain what the impact of the demise of liner conferences in the EU will be and many of our members are understandably sceptical about the potential benefits.

“However, if we look at what has happened in the airline industry since de-regulation, one can reasonably expect some form of additional restructuring in the sector over the medium term and impetus to new business models and innovation.

”One can reasonably assume that this development in Europe will not have been lost on governments in other parts of the world, some of which are already considering whether to follow the EU’s lead.

“The abolition of liner conferences in Europe may prove the catalyst for a wider shake-up in the international shipping industry, in respect of the deep sea movement of unitised cargo. It could lead to greater market transparency and possibly to more mergers and acquisitions, especially given the prospect of a new regulatory environment at a time when a record number of high capacity ‘new build’ vessels are coming up for delivery, against the backdrop of high fuel costs, the failure of the Doha round of world trade talks, global economic downturn and changing patterns of trade.

“While we cannot expect an overnight transformation in the service level that carriers offer our sector, we might reasonably hope for gradual improvements in commercial transparency (such as on surcharges), better terms of business, improved customer service and communication, together with more accurate billing and documentation.”

BIFA welcomes BAA break-up

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has welcomed the initial findings of today’s report by the Competition Commission (CC), which calls for BAA to sell two of its three London airports and another in Scotland.

Commenting on the report, BIFA Director General Peter Quantrill said: “BAA has played an important role in the development of airport infrastructure in the UK but times have changed and it is no longer viable for it to maintain such a dominant position in the marketplace.

“Whilst the report addresses passenger service efficiency and problems with capacity, particularly in the South East of England, it is important to remember that a substantial amount of freight is carried on passenger flights. If the findings of the report are implemented, we expect our members engaged in the transportation of goods by air to benefit from the healthy competition, which we hope will lead to increased efficiency and more flexible operating conditions.”

In its preliminary findings, the CC reported that there are competition problems at each of BAA's seven UK airports "with adverse consequences for passengers and airlines". The final report is scheduled to be published in the first quarter of 2009.