Workers at the UK’s busiest container port, Felixstowe, continue to strike over pay, with the latest action set to take place from 27th September to 5th October.
Unite has advised the Port of Felixstowe that workers including crane drivers, machine operators and stevedores, who load and unload ships, are planning further strike action during ongoing disagreements over pay.
The port has been embroiled in a dispute over pay for some weeks. Unite, on behalf of workers, has requested a pay rise to match the rate of inflation, which is currently around 10%. In a letter to members, the port said workers would get a 7% pay rise plus a bonus of £500, backdated to 1st January. This offer has been rejected.
Last month, around 1,900 workers walked out for eight days, marking the first time in three decades that dock workers went on strike. The most recent action to be announced will take place from 7am 27th September to 06.59am 5th October. The strike will overlap with similar action from workers at the port of Liverpool, who are staging a walkout from 19th September to 3rd October over pay.
Robert Morton, Unite national officer, said: “The latest strike action is entirely of Felixstowe’s own making. Rather than seeking to negotiate a deal to resolve the dispute, the company instead tried to impose a pay deal.”
He has previously stated: “I don’t think 7% is a particularly generous offer in relation to the company’s profits.”
In a statement on its website, 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.”
Previous action by Port of Felixstowe workers has been met with mixed reactions. Some locals have been quoted by the BBC as wishing the strikers good luck, while others disagree with the action, saying workers ‘get paid enough’. It is unknown what impact the strike will have on the toy industry, which continues to face challenges with shipping and logistics, but the August strike was compared to the Evergiven fiasco. Hopefully a resolution can be reached soon – although Unite has warned that if the dispute is not resolved successfully, it could drag on until Christmas.
