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Employees on the UK’s greatest container port will go on strike for greater than every week later this month in a dispute over pay.
Greater than 1,900 members of Unite union at Felixstowe will strike for eight days from Sunday 21 August till Monday 29 August.
The union mentioned that employer Felixstowe Dock and Railway Firm had failed to enhance on its supply of a 7% pay enhance, following solely a 1.4% enhance final yr.
Nearly half of the UK’s container site visitors comes via Felixstowe and Unite mentioned the motion would hit provide chains, the logistics and haulage sectors, in addition to worldwide maritime commerce.
It’s the newest spherical of business motion by employees pushing for pay to maintain up with the price of residing.
Unite nationwide officer for docks Bobby Morton mentioned: “Strike motion will trigger large disruption and can generate huge shockwaves all through the UK’s provide chain, however this dispute is solely 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 must cease prevaricating and make a pay supply which meets our members’ expectations.”
‘Massively worthwhile and extremely rich’
Unite normal secretary Sharon Graham mentioned each Felixstowe docks and its guardian firm Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison are “massively worthwhile and extremely rich”, including: “They’re totally in a position to pay the workforce a good day’s pay.
“The corporate has prioritised delivering multi-million pound dividends relatively than paying its employees an honest wage.
“Unite is solely centered on enhancing its members’ jobs, pay and situations and it is going to be giving the employees at Felixstowe its full assist till this dispute is resolved and an honest pay enhance is secured.”
Extra talks are because of happen on Monday.
In a press release equipped to media, a spokesperson for the port mentioned: “The corporate continues to actively search an answer that works for all events and that avoids industrial motion.
“We perceive our workers’ considerations on the rising price of residing and are decided to do all we will to assist while persevering with to spend money on the port’s success.
“Discussions are ongoing and the corporate’s newest place in negotiations is an enhanced pay enhance of seven%. We’re assembly once more on Monday 8 August with Acas and the union.
“The port has not had a strike since 1989 and we’re upset that the union has served discover of business motion whereas talks are ongoing. The port offers safe and well-paid employment and there will probably be no winners from industrial motion.”
The Division for Transport has additionally been contacted for remark.
Felixstowe welcomes roughly 2,000 ship every year, based on its web site, together with a few of the world’s largest container vessels.
Round 17 transport strains function from the port, providing 33 providers to and from greater than 700 ports around the globe.
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