Workers at the UK’s largest container port at Felixstowe will renew strike action tomorrow (Tuesday 27 September) in an ongoing dispute over pay.

Renewed strike action

Over 1,900 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin strike action at 07:00 on Tuesday 27 September with the eight day strike ending on 06:59 on Wednesday 5 October. 

Strike action is resuming after the company refused to return to negotiations following the initial eight days strike action in August. Instead the company imposed a seven per cent increase on the workforce. This amounted to a real terms pay cut with the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 12.3 per cent.

The workers rejected the imposed pay offer by 82 per cent on 78 per cent turnout.

Wealthy company

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a tremendously wealthy company which can fully afford to pay its workers a fair pay increase but has chosen not to in order to boost their already huge profits.

“Unite is now entirely focused on promoting and defending the jobs, pay and conditions of its members. The Felixstowe dock workers are receiving the union’s unflinching support.”

Co-ordinated action

The beginning of the new strike at Felixstowe coincides with the ongoing strike action at the port of Liverpool. It means that over 60 per cent of the UK’s container port capacity will be affected by industrial action. 

The Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company is ultimately owned by the multi-national port operator CK Hutchison, which is registered in the Cayman Islands. The company is fully able to pay its workers a fair pay increase as its accounts for 2021 reveal that it made record profits of £79 million. The latest accounts of CK Hutchison, reveal that it had a turnover of £30 billion.

Huge disruption

Unite national officer Bobby Morton said: “This latest round of strike action will inevitably cause huge disruption at Felixstowe and send shockwaves through the UK’s supply chain but this dispute is entirely of the company’s own making. It has been given every opportunity to negotiate an agreement but it has refused to do so.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Fresh strike dates announced in Felixstowe dispute as workers reject imposed pay deal

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067.

Email: [email protected]

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.