Port of Felixstowe: Workers accept pay deal after strikes

A pay deal has been reached with workers at the UK's busiest container port following two walk-outs.

Members of the Unite union at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk went on strike in August and September over pay.

The port said 90% of workers had voted to accept an 8.5% pay rise plus £1,000 from January 2023.

Chief operating officer Robert Ashton said it was "very pleased" with the deal. Unite said it still had an issue with "victimisation" of members.

Mr Ashton said the deal provided "welcome certainty and stability at a time when our employees, like everyone else, are facing an increase in the cost of living".

The two-year pay increase is broken down as a 7% increase for 2022 and an additional one off payment of £500, and then from January 1 2023 an 8.5% pay increase and a one off payment of £1,000.

A Unite spokesperson said: "While this pay increase is significant and was achieved as a result of strike action, the wider dispute will not be over until our members who have been victimised, are back at work."

About 1,900 of the port's 2,500 workers walked out for two separate strikes, each eight days long, which the port said had no significant impact on operations.

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