Second strike starts at Felixstowe

Unite union members working at Felixstowe Port will walk out for the second time on the 27th September, with strike days overlapping Liverpool’s dispute for seven days.

Unite says the strike is to take place after workers “overwhelmingly rejected management’s attempt to impose a pay deal”.

The union accuses management at Felixstowe of unilaterally ending pay talks after refusing to improve its pay offer and instead announced that it was imposing a pay deal of 7% on the workforce.

According to the union, its 1,900 Felixstowe members had voted 82% to reject the deal, with 78% of those surveyed responding.

The eight day strike begins tomorrow,Tuesday 27th September and ends at 06:59 on Wednesday 5th October.

In a statement, Unite repeated its view that the owner of Felixstowe Port 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. 

Unite national officer for docks Bobby Morton added:

“The latest strike action is entirely of Felixstowe’s own making.  Rather than seeking to negotiate a deal to resolve the dispute, the company instead tried to impose a pay deal. Further strike action will inevitably lead to delays and disruption to the UK’s supply chain but this is entirely of the company’s own making.”

As with earlier disputes, we have been focused on clearing cargo from terminals ahead of strike dates and are in continuous contact with shipping line partners to assess their contingency plans and mitigate any impact.

We will continue to monitor and manage the emerging situation and will keep you updated should there be any significant developments.