PD Ports has commissioned the build of a new pilot vessel for Teesport on the North East coast. The construction of the new vessel, an investment of over £1M, has now commenced and delivery is expected late 2013.The new vessel, which will be named after Middlesbrough’s local nature reserve, Saltholme, is in keeping with sister vessels, Coatham and Greatham, also named after protected areas.

Following a formal OJEU process, Angelsey based Holyhead Marine Services Limited was selected to build the new vessel to a Camarc design. The project will be managed by PD Ports’ highly skilled conservancy team, with further support and insight from Tees Bay Pilots.

Further investment of some £175, 000 has been committed to sister vessel, the Coatham, which is currently undergoing a significant refurbishment. Built in 1999, the Coatham has exceeded 25,000 running hours and is currently having work carried out by the PD Ports team at the Port’s own facilities, which include a floating dry dock.

The work, which has taken six months and is expected to complete in September, includes an engine upgrade from a pair of Scania 14 litre V8 engines to new tier II emission 16 litre V8 engines, a new navigational equipment package and a new bilge and fire system using KPM Predator bilge pumps.

This recent refit will increase the vessel’s life expectancy, while bringing all the benefits of modern power, seating, pumping systems and integrated navigation packages

  

PORTS PACKAGE 3

For those who don't know what Port Package 3 is please read, this is really important to ALL dockworkers around the UK.

The European Parliament alleges that every port and terminal operates a monopoly, because every ship wanting to unload cargo has to use the services of that port or terminal, it’s labour force, its cargo handling facilities and equipment. It argues that EU rules on the free movement of goods and services are being broken because other service providers cannot go into a port and unload ships.
So the EU proposes new laws which basically requires all ports and terminals to compete with other companies, like agency companies, can compete for the work which comes into our ports and terminals. The new laws will undermine every collective bargaining agreement as other employers could take our work. The competition for work would come down to the lowest price, meaning the company which offerred the lowest wage, terms and conditions wins, and we would lose.
Ports themselves would be forced to allow the use cargo handling equipment (for which they could charge a fee) and facilities.
The unions and the employers all opposed this last time and we worked together to defeat it, and narrowly won.
This time the employers are keeping quiet which may mean that deals are being done behind the scenes, and that means we’re going to get screwed. 
PP3 could mean the end of any type of good, secure employment, which is unionised and has good terms and conditions. It would mean the return of casual labour across the UK and Europe. We’d all be going back 100 years, this is the most important issue that faces us all.
We fight this or we all lose
 

TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEB SITE... We can now share video's via you tube, listen to music and we have an open forum for you our members and visitors to talk in. Lets use this WEB SITE to inform our members and visitors about our up and coming fights, meetings and combines. Lets also use this to talk about non work related talk, lets get to know our fellow dockers. 
We now have a place to go and talk, lets not struggle along on our own anymore. 5 Ports 1 Voice....!! 

Thanks to hard work and long negotiations of our reps the lads have managed to keep the rosta and no calling up system has been implemented.
It's now up to us the workforce to make this work for us all. 

Thanks to all members for staying strong. SOLIDARITY does work, well done to al

This is such a tragic reminder of how much a dangerous place we work in on a daily basis. 
We would like to send our condolences to the family of Bob Harrison who was involved in a incident yesterday at Hartlepool dock.     R.I.P BROTHER

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/docker-dies-after-30ft-fall-1-4912805