Dock managers Stevedoring Services say complaining freighters had ample warning of plans to demolish container stripping shed number eight.

But last night freighters were sticking to their guns saying the plan to put all container stripping in number seven shed was hasty and would cause massive problems.

Freighters this week warned clients importation costs could rise as they scrambled to find an alternative location to handle the work.

And they attacked the Corporation of Hamilton and Stevedoring Services for giving just two weeks' notice that number eight shed would shut.

The original deadline had been March 31 but half way through this month they were told the deadline had been moved forward.

Stevedoring Services boss Henry Hayward said it was necessary to begin clearing the shed over the coming weeks prior to the demolition in the spring.

Mr. Hayward said the plan to close both number eight shed and number seven shed to make more space on the cramped and dangerous Front Street dock had been around for years.

He said: "It's no surprise."

Nowhere else in the world was container stripping done on the dock said Mr. Hayward, nor was it usual for the port authority to provide an area for stripping.

But freighters' spokesman Willy Forbes said the plan to put all stripping work in number seven was not feasible.

"It's a simple question. How do they propose to run 100 percent of the freight through 50 percent of the facility? Especially when the season comes?"

He said if such a location was found outside the port customs staff would struggle to cope with the work.

"Something does need to be done but you cannot take a situation over several years and try to correct it in two weeks."

And he said that number eight shed should have been kept open rather than number seven as it was more efficiently designed.

Corporation of Hamilton Wharf Committee chairman alderman Jay Bluck said action needed to be taken now, in the off season, to clear space for an increasing number of containers which had vastly exceeded projected growth and now threatened dockers' safety.

"It's going to be difficult for all of us. I am just hoping we can work together."

He said the original plan had been to take down both sheds by December this year but now there was no date set for number seven shed to go.

"We came up with what we hoped would be a compromise by retaining number seven shed."

That shed will be used more efficiently, said Mr. Bluck, who added the Corporation had tried without success to help find alternative space in the City for the container stripping operations.

"Removing number eight shed will increase container space by 40 percent."

He said more efficient documentation would help the freighters clear goods quicker and ease congestion.

Mr. Hayward said freighters who currently pay $700 for each crate they bring in will get a $100 rebate for every one they move off the dock.