www.bifa.org


Robert Keen’s Column


BIFAlink


BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 391973. VAT Registration: 216476363)


Director General Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Executive Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Executive Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Mike Jones m.jones@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Training Development Manager Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Administration Controller Jane Robinson j.robinson@bifa.org


Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Robert Keen, Robert Windsor, Mike Jones, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Pawel Jarza


Regional Consultants to BIFA Scotland and the Borders Len Hobbs: bifa.scot@gmail.com Northern Ireland Carson McMullan: carsonconluce@aol.com Midlands and the North Paul Young: youngyes@aol.com London West and the South West Colin Young: young_colin.t21@btinternet.com Anglia, London East and the South East Paul Newman: paul@pnauk.com


Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.


February 2018


Court case win strengthens BIFA STC


As you can see from the article on page 17 of the magazine, the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions (STC) were strengthened by a recent court case. In the first hearing the judge set aside the BIFA STC and the set-off was considered under Common Law. The judge found that the age-old set-off rule for freight did not apply to airfreight costs. However, this has been overturned on appeal and so long as you incorporate the BIFA STC, no set-off applies to any mode of transport.


For those who were not present, the annual BIFA Awards in January was a


resounding success. It is getting tougher every year to organise such an event with the increased number of forwarder and logistics awards competitions around, so we are


really grateful to the sponsors who enable us to keep the high standards that we have set ourselves. A key strength of the BIFA Awards is that they are judged independently.


I am also glad to note that the number of entries seems to have been boosted by the changes we made in


the entry process. Now you can take part in the awards with a much simpler entry and no registration fee. We have seen BIFA Members who have never taken part before having a go this time around, so hopefully that will continue. A familiar refrain from years past was “the BIFA Awards are only for the big companies”. Whilst this has never actually been the case, it was always a perception, so with such a wide variety of entries for the 2017 Awards, and with seven of the nine category winners falling into the <100 staff bracket, we do think we have made progress in changing that view.


A particularly encouraging category is the Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award. This year we had a


high number of entries of such a high standard that the judges had their work cut out in separating five individuals. Certainly, with the quality of the candidates, the industry has nothing to fear about producing future leaders. You can read more about the BIFA Awards in this month’s magazine.


Linked to young freight forwarders, our apprenticeship plans continue to gather pace. We have underpinned


the collaborative work of a number of BIFA Members to draft a Trailblazer Freight Forwarding Standard which, as I write, is in the final stages of the approval process with the Department for Education. Our Training and Development Manager, Carl Hobbis, is already planning further actions such as port visits. Carl is liaising with both seaports and airports to enable groups of young forwarders to experience what happens in the airline sheds or at the quayside.


We also encourage all BIFA Members to support National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 5-9 March.


You can get involved by offering work experience, staging an event, working with a local school or college or using your social media channels. This is an area of promotion for the industry that Carl will be spearheading over the coming years as we try to elevate freight forwarding to schools and colleges as a great career choice. See the contacts page on the BIFA website if you want to discuss with Carl what you can do.


Finally, our condolences to the family of former BIFA Chairman Ken Hay, who passed away in the first week of


January. Ken was the driving force behind Hay Pollock and Hay World Cargo, and is fondly remembered at BIFA for his calm but effective leadership.


Robert Keen Director General


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