A dockers’ strike began in Liverpool yesterday, September 19, and will last until early October, writes JungeWelt.
More than 560 dockworkers at Liverpool port went on strike Monday night to fight for higher wages and better working conditions, which will last more than two weeks before the Tory party congress in early October.
Also, 1,900 workers at Felixstowe port will be on strike from 27 September until 5 October. Together, the two ports serve 60 per cent of UK container traffic. As a result, huge delays are expected in supply chains. Some observers expect the delays to be noticeable until after the holiday sales begin. Felixstowe is located on the coast north-east of London, near Ipswich. It is the largest container port in the United Kingdom.
A delegation of unions voted unanimously to strike at the port of Liverpool. Earlier, dockworkers and technical staff rejected an offer of a seven per cent pay rise and a one-off payment of 750 British pounds sterling by port operator MDHC and Peel Ports Ltd. Inflation in the United Kingdom currently stands at 12.3 per cent.
Container workers at the MDHC voted 99 per cent in August to begin fighting, with a turnout of 88 per cent. More than 1,900 Unite union members have already gone on strike at Felixstowe port between 21 and 29 August, demanding higher real wages. The new strike at Felixstowe was voted in by 82 per cent of the workforce.
“Further strikes will inevitably lead to delays and disruption to the UK supply chain, but this is purely a private company matter,” said Bobby Morton, national dockers’ spokesman for Unite. Commenting on the Felixstowe labour dispute, Unite said: “The Cayman Islands-registered company is fully capable of providing a fair wage increase to its employees.” Financial statements for 2021 showed it made a record profit of £79 million. The owners of the Port of Liverpool made a profit of £30 million in 2021.
Meanwhile, the postal union has also announced that it is renewing labour disputes. The start of the strike, postponed after the Queen’s death, has now been pushed back to 1 October. As well as October 1, railway workers will also hold a strike on October 5. A Tory party convention is being held in Birmingham these days. The strikes are designed to put pressure on new government leader Elizabeth Truss. Railway workers, in particular, hope that their actions will make it difficult for delegates to arrive and depart.
In addition, the union platform Enough is Enough is calling for demonstrations on 1 October in 13 cities. The platform’s demands are supported by 600,000 people. They are demanding higher real wages, taxation of the rich, measures to combat rising food prices, decent housing for all and lower energy costs. Protests on the day are announced in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Hull, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Norwich and Bristol.
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