Strike at the port of Felixstowe

Strike at the port of Felixstowe (Image: Nub News)

 

More than 1,900 members of the British union, Unite, commenced strike action at 07:00 (local time) on September 27. The strike is scheduled to end on October 5 at 06:59 (local time). Workers and unions have demanded a 10% increase in payroll costs to help cope with the cost of living crisis.

This is the second strike by Port Felixstowe workers after the strike at the end of August. Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company, owned by port operator CK Hutchison, has refused to return to negotiations.

"This amounted to a real terms pay cut with the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 12.3%," pointed out Unite. The workers rejected the imposed pay offer by 82% on 78% turnout.

"This is a tremendously wealthy company which can fully afford to pay its workers a fair pay increase but has chosen not to in order to boost their already huge profits. Unite is now entirely focused on promoting and defending the jobs, pay and conditions of its members. The Felixstowe dock workers are receiving the union’s unflinching support," said Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham. .

At this time, workers at two major UK container ports, Felixstowe and Liverpool, are on strike. That means more than 60% of the UK's container port capacity will be affected by these operations, according to Unite.

Unite country official Bobby Morton noted, "This latest round of strike action will inevitably cause huge disruption at Felixstowe and send shockwaves through the UK’s supply chain but this dispute is entirely of the company’s own making. It has been given every opportunity to negotiate an agreement but it has refused to do so."

A spokesman for the Port of Felixstowe said: "We are very disappointed that Unite has announced this further strike action at this time." "The collective bargaining process has been exhausted and there is no prospect of agreement being reached with the union."

 

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Source: Phaata.com (According to ContainerNews | Nub News)

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