News
Workers at the U.K. port of Felixstowe will begin strike action later this month in a dispute over pay after peace talks at the conciliation service Acas have failed to produce a reasonable offer.
Over 1,900 workers, who are members of Unite the Union, the UK's leading union, will begin eight days of strike action on Aug. 21-29.
Talks at Acas have failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion after the employer, the Felixstowe Dock and Railway, has failed to improve on its offer of a 7% pay increase, which is significantly below the real (RPI) inflation rate of 11.8%. Industrial relations were already strained as workers only received a 1.4% below inflation, increase last year.
The Port of Felixstowe handles some four million TEUs of containers a year, which account for 48% of all containerized shipments to and from Britain. Unite has warned the strike will have a major impact on the nation's supply chains.
