Workers’ union Unite confirms strike dates, which will overlap with a separate strike in the UK by Liverpool port workers, as Port of Felixstowe owners impose 7% pay rise rejected by union members
Workers’ union Unite, representing 1,900 Felixstowe port workers in a dispute over pay, said the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company did not improve its 7% pay rise offer and that Unite members rejected the offer in a vote, prompting strike action for eight days, from 27 September-5 October.
"Last week, the management at the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company unilaterally ended pay talks after refusing to improve its pay offer and instead announced that it was imposing a pay deal of seven per cent on the workforce. The imposed pay deal is in reality a sizeable pay cut with the current real inflation rate (RPI) standing at 12.3 per cent," a statement from Unite said.
On its Port of Felixstowe website, Hutchinson Ports said "The collective bargaining process has been exhausted and there is no prospect of agreement being reached with the union. The port is in the process of implementing the 2022 pay award of 7% plus £500 which is backdated to 1 January 2022."
Earlier in September,
Unite announced that more than 560 workers at the port of Liverpool are planning to take strike action from 19 September to 3 October. Analysts have shown that the effect of the first Felixstowe port strike caused congestion at the port, tripling waiting times for vessels.
9 August
The Port of Felixstowe said a workers’ union has rejected an improved pay offer from the company after members served notice of industrial action.
More than 1,900 union workers will begin eight days of strike action 21 August after failing to reach an agreement with the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Co.
On 5 August, Unite the Union said talks failed after the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Co failed to improve on its offer of a 7% pay increase. The union said this was “significantly below the real inflation rate of 11.8%. Industrial relations were already strained as workers only received an incease last year 1.4% below inflation.”
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.”
“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.”
Workers from the union and the employer, the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Co, met again 8 August to agree on new terms after a previous pay dispute. The employer said it had improved its previous offer by offering a £500 lump sum in addition to the 7% increase. This was rejected.
The Port of Felixstowe released a statement saying, “We are disappointed and regret that despite our best efforts we have still been unable to reach an agreement with the hourly branch of Unite. During talks yesterday, the port further improved its position offering a £500 lump sum in addition to 7%. The staff branch of Unite and the Police Federation of Felixstowe Dock and Railway Co have agreed to put a similar offer to their members.”
According to the Port, the hourly branch of Unite the Union has rejected the port’s offer and refused to put it to its members. Further, the union has rejected the offer to meet again and the strike will now proceed.
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