More than 1,900 workers at Britain’s busiest container port are set to go on strike on Sunday, which their union and shipping companies say will substantially disrupt trade and supply chains.
Staff at Felixstowe, on England’s east coast, are striking over pay, becoming the latest workers to strike in Britain as unions demand better wages for members facing a cost-of-living problem.
‘Strike action will produce significant disruption and shockwaves throughout the UK’s supply chain, but this is completely the company’s fault,’ said Bobby Morton, Unite union’s national officer for docks.
‘It had every opportunity to make a reasonable offer to our members but decided not to.’
Hutchison Ports, which operates Felixstowe, said on Friday that it believed its offer of a 7% wage increase and a lump sum of £500 ($604) was acceptable. It stated that the port’s workers union, which represents roughly 500 employees in supervisory, engineering, and clerical positions, had accepted the agreement.
The plan, according to Unite, is far below the current inflation rate and follows a below-inflation boost last year.
‘The port regrets the impact this action will have on UK supply networks,’ a representative for Hutchison Ports stated.
The port stated that it will have a contingency plan in place and was striving to minimise disruption during the walkouts, which are scheduled to extend until August 29.
Maersk, one of the world’s largest container carriers, has warned that the action will have a substantial impact, causing operational delays and requiring changes to its vessel line-up.
According to data released on August 17, Britain’s consumer price inflation touched 10.1% in July, the highest level since February 1982, and some economists predict it could reach 15% in the first three months of next year due to rising energy and food prices.
The impact on household earnings has already resulted in strikes by rail and bus workers demanding higher pay.
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