More than 1,900 workers at Britain's biggest container port to strike for eight days

More than 1,900 workers at Britain's biggest container port to strike for eight days
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Aden-Jay Wood

By Aden-Jay Wood


Published: 05/08/2022

- 14:58

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 10:46

The strike was called after Unite said the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company failed to improve on its offer of a seven percent pay increase

Workers at the port of Felixstowe are to strike for eight days later this month in a dispute over pay.

Members of Unite will walk out on August 21 after talks at the conciliation service Acas failed to resolve the row.


Unite said more than 1,900 workers at Felixstowe, the country’s biggest container port, will be taking industrial action.

The strike was called after Unite said the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company failed to improve on its offer of a seven percent pay increase, describing it as “significantly below” inflation.

File photo dated 30/10/21 of a view of the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, Britain's biggest and busiest container port. Workers at the leading container port have voted to strike in a dispute over pay. Members of the Unite union at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk backed industrial action by 9-1. Issue date: Thursday July 28, 2022.
Port of Felixstowe
Joe Giddens

Shipping containers are unloaded from a cargo ship at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk. Shipments of personal protective equipment have been clogging UK ports, causing huge delays compounded by retailers and manufacturers importing goods for the Christmas shopping rush.
Unite said more than 1,900 workers at Felixstowe, the country’s biggest container port, will be taking industrial action
Joe Giddens

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:“Both Felixstowe docks and its parent company CK Hutchison Holding Ltd are both massively profitable and incredibly wealthy. They are fully able to pay the workforce a fair day’s pay.

“The company has prioritised delivering multi-million pound dividends rather than paying its workers a decent 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.”

The workers undertake manual roles at the docks including crane drivers, machine operators and stevedores.

Unite national officer Bobby Morton said: “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.

“It has had every opportunity make our members a fair offer but has chosen not to do so.

“Felixstowe needs to stop prevaricating and make a pay offer which meets our members’ expectations.”

Further talks are scheduled to take place at Acas next Monday.

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