The first day of a planned strike at Britain’s biggest container port started on Sunday, joining a series of walkouts by transportation workers that have disrupted economic activity across the country.
Workers begin 8-day strike in UK’s largest container port Workers begin 8-day strike in UK’s largest container port
The first day of a planned strike at Britain’s biggest container port started on Sunday, joining a series of walkouts by transportation workers that have disrupted economic activity across the country.
Almost 2,000 workers at the Port of Felixstowe, located about 150 kilometres (93 miles) northeast of London, walked off the jobs over pay, raising fears of severe supply chain problems.
One employee, Lucky Singh, told British broadcaster Sky News that “whatever we gain” from any agreement “will be going on utility bills”, adding that “no-one is coming out any winner in this.”
Miles Hubbard, regional officer at the Unite union, said that “enough is enough, we are not going to take this anymore.”
The port handles around 4 million containers a year from 2,000 ships ‘ almost half of the country’s incoming shipping freight.
Managing Director of CP Transport Adam Searle said his business was highly dependent on the port and he was bracing for “a very tough time”.
The Port of Felixstowe said in a statement that it regretted the impact the strikes would have on U.K supply chains.
It said workers were offered a pay raise “worth over 8% on average in the current year.”
But workers say this is not enough for a company making millions in profit.
Port officials say they believe the offer is fair.
An eight day strike will hit supply chains hard, and will mean haulage businesses will lose out.
Britons are facing the worst cost of living crisis in decades as wages fail to keep pace with inflation and grocery costs and utility bills increase.
The latest statistics put the inflation rate at 10.1%, a 40-year high.
The conditions have sparked summer strikes by train and subway workers following the breakdown of wage talks in June. Only one in five UK trains ran Saturday during the third railway strike in as many days.
But port workers deny the strike is coordinated.
“People all over the country, I think, are feeling the same way. That’s why it appears to be coordinated because people everywhere are feeling the same way and coming to the same conclusion,” Hubbard said.
