Thousands of dock workers at Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, will stop working for eight days from Sunday. The strike will seriously disrupt the flow of goods to and from the UK. The port represents one third of the total container volume in the country.
Port employees want to use the campaign to further their advocacy for better working conditions. Port manager Hutchison Port earlier indicated that he was disappointed that the dispute had not been resolved at the negotiating table. The offer to raise wages by 8% had previously been rejected by the union, United. Therefore, an invitation to further negotiation was rejected.
Read also | Social unrest in the UK due to the inflation crisis
Avoid shipping companies
Several shipping companies have already indicated that they want to avoid Felixstowe during this time. For example, some ships of AP Moller-Maersk, the world’s second largest container carrier, will skip the usual stop at the British port. Goods destined for Felixstowe will be offloaded on the European mainland or at other British ports and, where possible, subsequently shipped to the final destination.
800 million dollars damage
According to data analytics firm Russell Group, the strike could affect $800 million in trade. It is still too early to calculate the broader impact of the procedure. This relates, for example, to the damage caused by longer delivery times and higher costs. According to digital shipping platform Flexport, it can take up to 24 days before the strike backlog is reduced. The effects can be felt outside the UK.
Read also | It will be ‘heat or eat’ for the British this winter
