The Strike May Last Until the End of the Year! Another Major Port also Confirmed a Strike

The port of Felixstowe, which has been on strike for eight days from August 21, has yet to reach an agreement with port operator Hutchison Ports.

Sharon Graham, secretary general of Unite, which represents striking workers, pointed out that if the felix Dock and Railway Company, the port operator, which is owned by Hutchison Ports UK Ltd, does not increase Quotes, the strike is likely to continue until the end of the year.

In negotiations on August 8, the port operator offered a 7% pay rise and a one-off payment of £500 (about 600 euros), but the union refused to settle.

Speaking to the striking dockworkers, Sharon Graham, secretary general of the union (Unite), said: "Port operators are making a lot of money, even if they pay 50 per cent more, they are still profitable. We are only asking for a 10 per cent increase. The problem is Operators need to clarify and disclose their untold multibillion-dollar books."

Sharon Graham highlighted a survey of port operator Hutchison Ports. “Every client, investor and policymaker of Hutchison is being investigated. I will invite Hutchison shareholders, clients and policymakers to meet with me to find out what is going on. The company's refusal to address union pay increases is because of corporate greed," he said.

In an Aug. 23 statement, Sharon Graham noted, “In 2021, port operators are seeing their highest profits in recent years, and dividends are good. So shareholders are getting big profits, and workers are getting a good deal. It's a pay cut.

Meanwhile, it was the first strike at the port of Felixstowe since 1989, with ships continuing to delay and severely disrupt the supply chain. So far, 18 ships have been delayed due to strikes, according to a new report from global information technology firm IQAX, while US business news channel CNBC reported that it could take about two months to clear the backlog.

Maersk, the Danish container shipping company, also announced that the strike has affected logistics operations in and out of the UK. Maersk said: "We have taken contingency measures to deal with the situation in Felixstowe, including changing the port of the ship and adjusting the schedule to maximize the use of available labor when the strike ends immediately." Maersk also said: "Once the strike After the resumption of normal work, it is expected that the carrier's transportation demand will be at a very high level, so customers are encouraged to book as soon as possible." The arrival time of some ships will be advanced or delayed, and some ships will be suspended from calling at the Port of Felixstowe for early unloading.

It is worth noting that while the strike at the Port of Felixstowe is still going on and I don’t know when it will end, the strike at the Liverpool terminal over there has been basically determined.

The strike at the Liverpool terminal may be confirmed, and the shipping company has a contingency plan

CMA CGM said: "A strike date has not been announced. However, the team is doing their best to develop suitable contingency plans to provide the most reliable service possible during the disruption. We are working to provide alternative solutions through other UK ports and will continue to provide Door to door service.”

A spokesman for the United union, which represents dockworkers, said a strike date had not been set, but workers' positions remained unchanged, with 500 people set to strike over an "insufficient" 7 per cent wage proposal by employer Peel Group.