Strike begins over pay at UK's largest container port

An eight-day strike by workers at the UK’s largest container port in the East of the UK began on Sunday.

Between August 21 and August 29, 1,900 dockers working at Felixstowe port are going on strike over a proposed 7 percent pay increase, which they argue is “significantly” below the real (RPI) inflation rate of 11.8 percent.

According to Unite the Union, 48 percent of containers brought into the UK are transported via the Port of Felixstowe.

The union warned the strike action “will have a huge effect on the UK’s supply chain and will also cause severe disruption to international maritime trade, as well as the UK’s supply chain including the logistics and haulage sectors”.

It is the first time workers at the Port of Felixstowe have gone on strike since 1989.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said in a statement: “Both Felixstowe docks and its parent company CK Hutchison Holding Ltd are both massively profitable and incredibly wealthy. They are fully able to pay the workforce a fair day’s pay.

“The company has prioritised delivering multi-million pound dividends rather than paying its workers a decent wage.

“Unite is entirely focused on enhancing its members’ jobs, pay and conditions and it will be giving the workers at Felixstowe its complete support until this dispute is resolved and a decent pay increase is secured.”

The Port of Felixstowe wrote on its website that it was “disappointed” that Unite had not called off the strike “and come to the table for constructive discussions to find a resolution”.

It continued: “We recognise these are difficult times but, in a slowing economy, we believe that the company’s offer, worth over 8 percent on average in the current year and closer to 10 percent for lower paid workers, is fair. Unite has failed our employees by not consulting them on the offer and, as a result, they have been put in a position where they will lose pay by going on strike.

“The port regrets the impact this action will have on UK supply chains. We are grateful for the support we have had from our customers and are working with them to mitigate disruption. The port provides secure and well-paid employment and there will be no winners from this unnecessary industrial action.”