Over 1,900 Felixstowe port workers to begin eight-day strike over pay
More than 1,900 workers at Britain's biggest container port are walking out of their jobs for eight days from Sunday over pay with their union and shipping companies warning the walkout could seriously affect trade and supply chains.
The plan by the staff at Felixstowe, located on the east coast of England, comes after various strikes have been staged this week by thousands of transport workers in disputes over pay, as the cost of living crisis bites.
"Strike action will cause huge disruption and will generate massive shockwaves throughout the UK's supply chain, but this dispute is entirely of the company's own making," said Bobby Morton, the Unite union's national officer for docks.
"It [the company] has had every opportunity to make our members a fair offer but has chosen not to do so."
Felixstowe's operator Hutchison Ports on Friday said it believed a 7% hike in wages and a lump sum of 500 pounds ($604) would be fair, adding the port's workers union, which represents nearly 500 staff in supervisory, engineering and clerical roles, had accepted the deal.
Unite, which represents mainly dock workers, argues the proposal is a great deal below the current inflation rate, and followed a below inflation increase last year.
"The port regrets the impact this action will have on UK supply chains," a Hutchison Ports spokesperson said.
The walkout by members of Unite, including crane drivers, machine operators and stevedores, marks the first strike to disrupt the port since 1989, following a more than 9-1 vote in favor.
Meanwhile, the London transport strikes this week brought the city to a halt when the Train and Bus network of the city saw strikes over pay and conditions amid rising inflation in the country.
Similar strikes are also being planned in other industries like lawyers, teachers, nurses, firefighters, and waste collection, airport and postal staff.
Figures released on Aug. 17 indicated Britain's consumer price inflation hit 10.1% in July, the highest since February 1982, and some economists project it will hit 15% in the first three months of next year amid surging energy and food costs.
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