Felixstowe dock strike

WORKERS at Felixstowe Docks in Suffolk went on strike for eight days from August 21-29 in a row about pay. Felixstowe is the UK’s largest container port, handling around four million containers a year from 2000 ships – equivalent to 48% of the country’s container trade. About 1900 Unite members walked out after rejecting a 7% pay offer from Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company, which operates the port. Unite said the offer was “significantly below” the rate of inflation. Some vessels were able to divert to other ports, while other shipping firms were able to change their dates, but supplies to some businesses for the crucial autumn period up to Christmas were affected.