Workers at Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, are set to continue an eight-day strike after wage negotiations collapsed.
Around 1,900 members of the Unite union will quit on August 21 after rejecting an offer of £500 lump sum on top of a 7% pay rise.
The Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company called the decision “disappointing”.
Unite urged port bosses to make a “reasonable” offer, adding that it was open to further talks.
Unite’s Robert Morton said: “Felixstowe Docks is extremely profitable. It can afford to make a reasonable salary offer to our members, but has again decided against it. This decision was driven by greed, not necessity.”
A spokesman at the Port of Felixstowe said: “During talks yesterday [Monday 8 August] The port continued to improve its position, offering a £500 lump sum in addition to 7%.
“Unite Human Resources and the Police Federation of Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company have agreed to make a similar offer to their members. In contrast, Unite’s hourly department has again rejected the port’s improved position and has refused to submit it to its members.”
- Why is everyone striking?
Around half of the containers imported into Great Britain are transported via the port. A spokesman for Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company said the port had not had a strike since 1989.
Workers in other industries have also announced industrial action, most notably in the transport sector, over both pay and working conditions.
Wage negotiations have led to several rail strikes over the summer as workers demand higher wages to keep up with soaring prices for goods and services. The Bank of England has warned that Britain will fall into recession in the last three months of this year if inflation is expected to top 13%. It announced the largest interest rate hike in 27 years – by 0.5% – to 1.75% in a bid to calm inflation.
Upcoming strikes include those on Saturday 13 August by train drivers from nine railway companies and further strikes by railway staff on 18 and 20 August by members of the RMT union.
Customers will face disruptions to train services as 6,500 train drivers are expected to take part in Saturday’s strike.
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