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Protection against the risk of strike action affecting a vessel, either through a Port dispute or by crew can be insured in the London Market with entry into one of their specialised Strike Associations or to a lesser extent with some of the P & I Group Clubs.
The three main categories by which Ship-owners or Charterers of vessels can cover themselves are as follows:
Class I covers members against loss of their ships' daily running costs when delayed by a strike or lockout during the actual period of a strike, but excluding a strike by the crew of the entered ship.
Class II covers members against loss of their ship's daily running costs when congestion has caused a delay after the end of a strike or lockout.
Class III covers members against loss of their ship's daily running costs arising out of a strike of the entered ship's officers or crew.
In the great majority of cases ship-owners and charterers were the innocent victims' of stoppages which, in the main, were the result of or arose in the course of inter-union demarcation disputes, or disputes between labour and their employers - either port authorities employing stevedores, tugs, electricians, fitters and linesmen, or mine operators in dispute with miners and transport workers.
These disputes were usually over negotiations concerning pay, leave and other employment terms. It should be noted that the scope of cover provided is not restricted to delay caused by strikes on the part of those directly concerned with the ship, such as port workers and crew; it also covers delay resulting from strikes by other labour, such as crane and grab operators, customs and other officials, tug crew and lightermen, and as a result of strikes by workers in factories, mines or transport which interfere with the movement of cargo to or from the port.
Claims for delay to a ship caused by strikes of any of these categories of workmen can be covered. Also, claims for delay, resulting from a go-slow or partial strike, the picketing or blacking of a ship and the blockaging of ports are included in the coverage.
