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By Siddharth Philip (Bloomberg) Nearly 2,000 dock employees at Felixstowe, Britain’s largest container ship port, will strike for eight days later this month after failing to succeed in a deal on pay.
Staff will strike from Aug. 21 to 29, the Unite union mentioned in a press release Friday. Talks failed after the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Firm, owned by a unit of CK Hutchison Holdings, didn’t enhance its supply of a 7% pay enhance, the labor group mentioned.
Felixstowe is a key hub for exports in addition to imports into the UK, and accounts for almost half the nation’s container commerce. The strikes may have a “enormous impact” on provide chains and trigger “extreme disruption” to worldwide maritime commerce, the union mentioned.
Hutchison Ports UK, which operates Felixstowe, mentioned it was in search of an answer “that works for all events” and that discussions had been ongoing, with one other assembly with the union scheduled for Aug. 8.
“The port has not had a strike since 1989 and we’re disillusioned that the union has served discover of commercial motion whereas talks are ongoing,” a Hutchison spokesperson mentioned in an e mail. “We perceive our workers’ considerations on the rising price of dwelling and are decided to do all we will to assist while persevering with to put money into the port’s success.”
Nearly 2,000 ships name at Felixstowe yearly, with the port dealing with the equal of over 4 million containers a 12 months, in response to its web site.
© 2022 Bloomberg L.P.
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