Can I get compensation after getting caught up in strike action?

• Thursday, 30 July 2009
• Ben Sneath
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Claiming for the lost money caused by strikes

After attending a business meeting in Nice I decided to drive south in my motorcaravan for a well-earned short holiday. However, French fishermen were out on strike and I ended up spending two days in Dover and lost my deposit on the two sites I’d booked for the outward trip. I also had to pay to use the motorways to make sure I made it to my meeting on time. I was wondering if I can sue the ferry company to reclaim the additional costs that I incurred?
G. Webster, by email

MIKE SAYS
Your problems weren’t the ferry operators’ fault, it was the striking French fishermen’s fault, and there is no provision under either French or EU Law to sue them. Depending on whether or not you had travel insurance, and who it was with, you should be able to claim back your lost site deposits but you may have to negotiate for the money you paid to use the motorways. In my experience, if you have a good insurer and receipts for extra expenditure and lost deposits they’ll pay up without a problem.