Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Strikes expected at Felixstowe port as pay talks end without agreement

by August 10, 2022
August 10, 2022
Strikes expected at Felixstowe port as pay talks end without agreement

Talks between the Unite union and the company that runs Felixstowe port, which were aimed at stopping an eight-day strike by dock workers at Britain’s busiest container port, have ended without a deal.

Negotiations came to an end despite the company’s new offer of a £500 bonus for each of the 1,900 dock workers, who have already voted in favour of strike action between 21 and 29 August amid a pay dispute with the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company.

After negotiations in recent days between the company and unions at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the Hong Kong-owned port offered workers a £500 lump sum, in addition to its previous offer of a 7% pay rise.

The company said on Tuesday that unions would put the bonus offer to their members who were salaried staff at the Suffolk port.

However, it added that workers who were paid hourly at Felixstowe – who represent about 85% of the dock workers – would not be given the chance by Unite to vote on the offer.

A port spokesperson said: “There will be no winners from a strike which will only result in their members losing money they would otherwise have earned. Our focus has been to find a solution that works for our employees and protects the future success of the port.

“The union has rejected the company’s offer to meet again.”

The Guardian understands that Unite would be willing to attend more talks only if the company increased its pay offer above 7%.

The union has previously rejected this offer, saying it was below the 11.8% retail prices index (RPI) level of inflation, its preferred measure, while workers received a below-inflation pay increase of 1.4% last year. Company figures suggest the average annual pay of Felixstowe dock workers is £43,000.

Unite has pointed to the port’s profitability and decision to pay out multimillion-pound dividends to investors. Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company made a pre-tax profit of almost £61m in 2020, according to its most recent accounts.

Unite’s national officer, Robert Morton, said the port “can afford to put forward a reasonable pay offer to our members but once again has chosen not to”, adding: “That decision was driven by greed, not need.”

He added: “Unite’s door remains open for further talks but strike action will go ahead unless the company tables an offer that our members can accept.”

There has not been a strike since 1989 at Felixstowe port, which is owned by the Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, owner of the Three mobile phone network and the healthcare retailer Superdrug.

Any prolonged industrial action at the docks would probably bring the container port to a standstill, and would almost certainly have an impact on the UK’s supply chain, further knocking the British economy as it braces for recession.

The logistics hub handles about 40% of the containers entering and leaving the UK – representing about 45,000 containers each week – filled with freight including consumer goods, clothing and canned food.

Read more:
Strikes expected at Felixstowe port as pay talks end without agreement

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Commuting in, DIY out: UK’s new ‘new normal’ after end of Covid controls
next post
UK postal workers to strike for four days in pay dispute

You may also like

Bank of England poised for rate cuts as...

July 5, 2024

Shortfall of 330,000 workers in UK due to...

January 18, 2023

UK ban on zero-hours contracts set to include...

March 4, 2025

Twelve engineering companies participate in pilot Academy programme...

July 18, 2023

Building a Budget Gaming PC in 2025: The...

December 20, 2024

Secrets of Success: Antony Vallee, Co-Founder and CEO...

September 27, 2023

“Let’s Celebrate Towns”: Visa Honours Eight UK Towns...

March 14, 2024

Deepak Sharma of Aircraft Finance Lease Ltd (AFL)...

March 3, 2025

Employers gain nearly two weeks extra a year...

April 24, 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Payment...

August 30, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Friday Feature: Incubate Debate

      June 6, 2025
    • Risch urges ‘top to bottom’ USAID spending review after waste, fraud exposed

      June 6, 2025
    • Universities in Libertarian Land

      June 6, 2025
    • Elon Musk may speak to Trump aides in push to calm feud

      June 6, 2025
    • Everyone Talks About Leaving a Better Planet for Our Children: Why Don’t We Leave Better Children for Our Planet?

      June 6, 2025
    • MARK HALPERIN: Democrats try to construct a Frankenstein candidate while JD Vance gains momentum for 2028

      June 6, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,149)
    • Investing (2,013)
    • Politics (15,545)
    • Stocks (3,130)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved