Expect delays on fresh food

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12:  The overtime ban on the docks will be a ‘massive inconvenience’ for grocery stores and restaurants, business owners have said.

The stand-off will mean delays in fresh produce reaching the shelves of supermarkets and the kitchens of island eateries.

Bosses say it is an ‘extra headache’ they can ill-afford in the midst of a recession.

Phil Barnett, who runs the Island Restaurant chain that includes Hog Penny, Pickled Onion and Latin, said delays would affect his businesses.

“The issue will be perishable items left on the docks for an extra day. We may run out of salad items, fresh vegetables early next week.

“It just makes things more difficult. These are incredibly tough times and it is one more thing to deal with.”

Other retailers expressed concern that the industrial action could have an effect on efforts to control food prices, with delays on the docks likely to require wholesalers and supermarkets to pay staff overtime in order to get fresh food on the shelves as quickly as possible.

Zach Moniz, manager of Lindos supermarket, said the store had already been impacted.

“It’s a huge inconvenience to us. Normally we get our fresh produce first thing in the morning on a Thursday and it’s on the shelves by lunchtime. We didn’t get it till 2:15 today.”

He said there was potential for the supermarket to be affected financially if customers came in looking for fresh produce on Mondays and Thursdays, when the stock normally hits the shelves, and didn’t find it.

John Tomlinson, of wholesaler BGA, said the full effect remained to be seen.

“If they stop work completely that would be a big problem. The extent of the impact from an overtime ban is less clear.

“There may be delays but we have contingency plans.”