Unite has said that there will be a strike at the ports of Felixstowe and Liverpool from the 27 September until 5 October. This comes despite workers having been offered a seven per cent pay increase which is already being implemented.
The union said that a pay deal offered was effectively a pay cut when compared to the retail price index (RPI.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Felixstowe and (its owner) CK Hutchison are both eye-wateringly wealthy but rather than offer a fair pay offer, they have instead attempted to impose a real-terms pay cut on their workers. Since the beginning of this dispute, Unite has given its total support to its members at Felixstowe and that will continue until this dispute is resolved.”
On its website, the port’s management said in a statement: “We are very disappointed that Unite has announced this further strike action at this time. The collective bargaining process has been exhausted and there is no prospect of an agreement being reached with the union.
“The port is in the process of implementing the 2022 pay award of 7 per cent plus £500 which is backdated to 1 January 2022.”
Unite represents some 1,900 employees at the Felixstowe port.
There is also a planned two-week walkout by workers at the port of Liverpool from 19 September to 3 October, in a dispute over pay.
Retailers will be badly impacted as shipments of Christmas stock are likely to be badly delayed
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