Strike at British port could drag on as workers seek 10 per cent pay rise

LONDON • A strike at Britain's largest container ship port could extend beyond the eight days currently planned by unions, threatening more disruption to the country's supply chains.

Ms Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, told Bloomberg Radio that workers at Felixstowe want a 10 per cent pay rise, up from the port operator's offer of 7 per cent and a £500 (S$820) one-off bonus.

Inflation is on track to rise above 18 per cent next year, investment bank Citigroup predicted on Monday.

It has already climbed to 10.1 per cent.

Ms Graham said it would be "totally unacceptable" for workers at the Port of Felixstowe, which is owned by a unit of CK Hutchison Holdings, to accept a pay rise below the rate of inflation. The union "will do everything in our power" to secure higher pay, she added.

Strikes have broken out across Britain as workers demand pay increases that keep pace with a rapid jump in living costs. Commuters and tourists were hit by three days of walkouts on the rail network last week, affecting 14 train companies as well as the London Underground.

Dock workers at the Port of Liverpool have authorised a strike as the cost-of-living crisis squeezes wages while shipping lines reel in record profits.

BLOOMBERG