European Port Workers Plan 8-day Strike

Nearly 2,000 dockworkers at Felixstowe, Britain's largest container ship port, plan to strike for eight days this month after failing to reach a pay deal, according to Bloomberg. The union has vowed a complete port closure, threatening to cut off Britain's most important one of the trade routes.

Workers at the Port of Felixstowe will strike from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29, the United Union said in a statement Friday. The labor group said the Hutchison Ports Group, which owns and operates the port, did not raise the wage increase it had proposed, and the talks collapsed.

In fact wages for members of the union rose by 1.4% last year, and this year the union cites the current UK inflation rate of 11.8%. The union rejected Felixstowe's latest proposal for a 7 per cent pay rise.

The Port of Felixstowe is one of the busiest container ports in Europe and a stop on the routes of many shipping lines operating between Asia and Europe. The port handles more than 4 million TEUs a year, accounting for nearly half of the country's container trade. About 2,000 ships call at the port every year.

The union previously reported that 92 percent of its members voted for strike action at Felixstowe Docks. Members include crane drivers, machine operators and stevedores responsible for loading and unloading container ships. According to the port operator, it will be the first strike action at the port since 1989.

The strike will have a "huge impact" on supply chains and wreak havoc on international maritime trade, the union said, vowing to shut ports across the board. The port side emphasized that the company will continue to actively seek solutions that are applicable to all parties and avoid strikes.