The Port of Felixstowe says it “regrets” the impact of the strike and cites a warning from the Unite union about significant supply chain disruption. The strikes, however, were predicted to simply be “an inconvenience, not a catastrophe,” according to a port source.
In the most recent round of labor unrest that has affected numerous economic sectors, nearly 2,000 employees at the largest container port in the UK quit their jobs on the first day of an eight-day strike.
The strike at Felixstowe port on the east coast rounds off a week that saw various strikes by thousands of transport workers in disputes over pay, as the cost of living crisis bites.
The union has warned the stoppage at the port, which handles almost half the container freight entering the country, will have a significant impact on UK supply chains and the logistics and haulage sectors.
But a port source downplayed the warning, telling the PA news agency the strikes will be an “inconvenience, not a catastrophe”.
“Disruption is the new normal. The supply chain has moved from ‘just in time to just in case,” he added.