As we mentioned in an article last week, dockers from the Port of Felixstowe were threatening to take strike action over a pay dispute.
Unfortunately, it is being reported that the latest talks between the trade union Unite and the Port of Felixstowe have failed to come to an agreement after they rejected an offer of a £500 lump sum payment alongside a 7% pay rise. BBC news reports that roughly 1,900 members of the Unite union will walk out on 21st August for an eight-day strike.
A spokesperson for Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company said that the port, which handles roughly half of the UK’s container imports and exports, has not seen strike action since 1989.
So what does this mean for businesses?
Well, The Loadstar reports that some shipping lines are planning to reschedule calls to the port with some carriers looking to bring ships in earlier to fulfil UK imports. All businesses should be looking at their planned shipments, both imports and exports, and opening discussions with their freight forwarders, customers and suppliers, to mitigate the impact on their business.
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