Workers on the UK’s largest container port will go on strike for greater than every week later this month in a dispute over pay.
More than 1,900 members of Unite union at Felixstowe will strike for eight days from Sunday 21 August till Monday 29 August.
The union stated that employer Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company had failed to enhance on its supply of a 7% pay enhance, following solely a 1.4% enhance final yr.
Almost half of the UK’s container site visitors comes by way of Felixstowe and Unite stated the motion would have an enormous impact on provide chains, together with within the logistics and haulage sectors.
It would additionally trigger extreme disruption to worldwide maritime commerce, the union added.
Unite nationwide workplace for docks Bobby Morton stated: “Strike motion will trigger enormous disruption and can generate huge shockwaves all through the UK’s provide chain, however this dispute is completely of the corporate’s personal making.
“It has had each alternative make our members a good supply however has chosen not to take action.
“Felixstowe needs to stop prevaricating and make a pay offer which meets our members’ expectations.”
Unite normal secretary Sharon Graham stated each Felixstowe docks and its guardian firm Hon Kong-based CK Hutchison are “massively profitable and incredibly wealthy”, including: “They are fully able to pay the workforce a fair day’s pay.
“The firm has prioritised delivering multi-million pound dividends moderately than paying its employees a good 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.”
More talks are because of happen on Monday 8 August.
Source: information.sky.com”