As Britain is being hit by transport strikes, Dock workers at the UK’s largest container port have gone on strike for the first time in 30 years.
About 1,900 members of the Unite union at Felixstowe in Suffolk are walking out for eight days in a dispute over pay.
Unite said members rejected a 7% pay offer from the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company, which it said was below the rate of inflation.
A picket line formed early on Sunday as the strike began, and the union said it would be manned until 22:00 on each day of the walkout. Miles Hubbard, from Unite’s regional office, told BBC: “Very few people reported for work this morning.
“The picket line has been in place since 6am and we’re getting great support from the public.”
About 2,550 people work at the Port of Felixstowe – the country’s busiest port, handling about 48% of the UK’s container trade. Striking workers include crane drivers, machine operators and stevedores who load and unload ships.
The Port of Felixstowe said it was “disappointed” Unite had not “come to the table for constructive discussions to find a resolution. We recognise these are difficult times but… we believe that the company’s offer, worth over 8% on average… is fair,” it said in a statement.
According to the company, the Port of Felixstowe staff union, representing approximately 500 positions, voted to accept the same pay offer Unite had refused to put to its members.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) and Unite walked out for 24 hours on Saturday, affecting Network Rail and a number of train companies across the country.
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