Felixeaux port on strike for eight days

After three consecutive days of strikes that disrupted transportation, especially the railroad, it was the turn of Felixstowe port to be affected. A strike scheduled to last for eight days began on Sunday August 21 at the UK’s largest shipping port, the latest in a series of industrial measures in many sectors to demand better wages in the face of record inflation.

This is the first strike since 1989 for this port in the east of England, which handles about four million containers annually. About 1,900 Unite members, including crane operators, machine operators and port workers, have left their jobs demanding higher wages amid the cost of living crisis in the UK. Inflation reached 10.1% over one year in July and could exceed 13% in October, the highest level in the G7 countries.

99 million pounds distributed to shareholders

Felixstudio Dukes is very profitable. The latest figures show that in 2020, they made £61 million. [près de 72 millions d’euros] of profits »“Unite” Secretary General Sharon Graham said. “The parent company, CK Hutchison Holding Ltd, is so rich that in the same year it distributed £99 million to its shareholders. So that they could give Felixstowe workers an appropriate pay raise”She said.

For their part, the port officials said ‘Disappointed because Unite did not accept [leur] Offers to cancel the strike and sit down at the table for constructive discussions to find a solution”. The company said it offered a pay increase that it feels ” Just “8% on average and nearly 10% for the lowest paid employees.

Harbor “Regrets the impact this measure has had on UK supply chains” It claims to work with its clients “Reduce turbulence”.

However, a source at the port told the Palestinian News Agency that the strikes would be “An inconvenience, not a disaster”saying the supply chain has been using disruption since the pandemic.