Woolwich Ferry strikes continue for 3 out of 7 days a week
Photos courtesy Chris Leadbetter
Woolwich ferry strikes are continuing in September with the service not operating on three out of seven days each week.
Strike action has been ongoing since April, with union Unite stating there are issues with a “victimisation issue” with staff “angry at the failure to agree a new pay and reward scheme; the excessive use of agency staff; and the failure to provide adequate health and safety training to new employees”.
The service has been a bit of a shambles since the former three boats were replaced with two.
That reduced any cover and one boat services has operated for much of the time since introduction in 2019.
Signs installed at the ferry from TfL advise drivers to head to Rotherhithe or Blackwall yet do not mention height restrictions on the northbound Blackwall tunnel or width restrictions on the Rotherhithe tunnel.
TfL now operate the service after taking over from Briggs Marine in 2020.
Strike action will occur on 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27 and 29 September unless an agreement is reached.
Just build a bridge or tunnel either here or in Thamesmead, the ferry is a joke
You do realise a bridge would have to be the same height as the Dartford Crossing to allow shipping to pass underneath..
A tunnel would need approach roads. Homes would need to be demolished.
Insane that it’s 2021 and no bridge/tunnel, Moreover there arnt plans to build them after the thamesmead and erith schemes were scrapped. No one wants to use the ferry, it’s just less bad than using Blackwall.
For cycling and walking Greenwich are useless at maintaining the foot tunnels so maybe tfl should take them on
And? Thamesmead has a lot of empty land. Homes were demolished to modernise the A2 back in the day, I’m not sure why that’s meant to be a killer argument. Homes are being demolished all the time, as Murky Depths shows – Morris Walk estate being one recent example.
The awful blocks at Morris Walk are being demolished for new homes.
There was a very strong campaign to prevent homes being demolished for a crossing at Thamesmead.
I think the service is worse since TfL took it over and the draconian attitude of the crew is to blame. Be careful what you wish for comes to mind.