Strike begins at UK’s main shipping port

Felixstow /

An eight-day strike began this Sunday in The UK’s largest cargo portthe last link in the wave of strikes in various sectors to demand a raise in wages in the face of record inflation of 10%.

After three consecutive days of strikes that disrupted transportation, especially rail, the port of Felixstowe is now affected.

This is the first hit since 1989 And the– This port in the east of England, through which about four million containers pass every year.

About 1900 members united unionincluding crane and machine operators as well as stevedoring workers, are out of work to demand higher wages, amid a major crisis in purchasing power in the UK.

The Inflation reached 10.1% YoY in July And it could exceed 13% in October, the highest level for a G7 country.

“Felixstow is very profitable. The latest figures show that in 2020 he made £61m (€72m, $72m) in profit,” Unite general secretary 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 they can give Felixstowe workers a correct wage increase“, he added.

The company, for its part, says it has proposed a salary increase that appears “fair” to it, at 8% on average, and about 10% for the lowest salaries.

The Ports Authority in turn said it “regretted the impact of this measure on UK distribution chains” and said it was working with its customers “to reduce disruption”.

See also  Keys of the day: Is the pound below par? Mid-term GPS calls for a recovery and Italy is said to be

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *