Felixstowe strike set to go ahead as no deal reached yesterday
The strike at the port of Felixstowe is set to go ahead after no deal was reached yesterday between dock workers and port authorities.
The union announced that around 1,900 staff members will walk out for eight days, from 21 to 29 August, over salaries.
Felixstowe said it was disappointed by the union’s decision to strike after it turned down the port’s latest offer.
On Monday night, Felixstowe authorities increased the 7 per cent pay rise made on Friday with an additional £500 lump sum.
“There will be no winners from a strike which will only result in their members losing money they would otherwise have earned,” a port spokesperson said this morning.
“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.”
For its part, the union justified its decision saying the “massively profitable” Felixstowe could present “a reasonable pay offer to our members but once again has chosen not to.”
“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,” Unite’s national officer Robert Morton said.
Morning Wire has approached the Department for Transport for comment.