According to British trade union Unite, some 600 Liverpool port workers will initiate seven days of fresh strike action beginning on 11 October and ending on 17 October. As well as port operatives and engineers, who began two weeks of industrial action on 19 September, senior control room operators and control room operators have now voted to join the strikes.
The port’s dock masters, shift managers and vessel traffic services officers are also preparing to be balloted for strike action. The combined impact of so many people striking means the entire port will face serious operational challenges.
The workers disagree with the decision of MDHC, part of Peel Ports, to offer a pay increase of around 8.3% with the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 12.3%. The disagreement is also over MDHC’s failure to honor the 2021 pay agreement, Unite claims.
Unite national coordinator for free ports, Steven Gerrard pointed out that the disruption at the port of Liverpool is "entirely the fault of MDHC and Peel Ports". He noted that "if even more staff walk out over the company’s insufficient pay offer, the entire port will literally become inoperable."
Source: container-news.com