Port of Felixstowe: Striking workers to have pay deal imposed

The UK's busiest container port is to implement a pay deal on union members who were recently on strike, despite them campaigning for more money.

About 1,900 members of the Unite union took industrial action at Felixstowe for eight days last month.

Management at the Suffolk port said discussions with the union had broken down and further negotiations were "not fair" on employees.

Unite said it was assessing what action to take next.

In a letter to members seen by the BBC, the port said they would get a 7% pay rise, backdated to January, plus a bonus of £500.

Unite was asking for a pay rise that would better match the rate of inflation, which is currently at about 10%.

The letter from chief operating officer Robert Ashton to staff said "we have exhausted all avenues to close a deal", adding the port would "implement" its pay offer "to have a closure to this matter".

In a statement, the Port of Felixstowe said: "The pay negotiations have been going on all year.

"The collective bargaining process has been exhausted and there is no prospect of agreement being reached with the union. It is not fair on our employees to prolong this any further."

Unite national officer Robert Morton said: "Unite is surveying our members at the Port of Felixstowe to determine which course of action they wish to take next. We will be making no further comment at this time."

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