FIVE-HUNDRED dock workers employed by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC) at the Port of Liverpool began a two-week strike last night.
Unite regional officer Steven Gerrard said: ‘Strike action will inevitably severely affect shipping and road transport as well as creating shortages in supply chains but this dispute is entirely of Peel Ports own making.
‘Unite has held extensive negotiations with the company but it has refused to address members’ concerns.’
Liverpool dockers have rejected a seven per cent offer, describing it as ‘a pay cut dressed up as a rise’.
MDHC is owned by Peel Ports, one of five companies which own Britain’s ports.
Unite said that the Liverpool operators made £30 million profits last year.
The company shut down Liverpool docks for Monday’s funeral, but planned to reopen at 7.00pm in the evening, a move that was set to be picketed, with a big turnout this morning.
In Felixstowe, 1,900 docker members of Unite will strike for eight days from September 27.
But on Friday 23rd, this week, they will be in Liverpool to join ranks with their comrades there.
And on October 1st more than 170,000 workers will come out on strike as communications union CWU and rail unions RMT, ASLEF and TSSA take action together, bringing the rail network and postal services to a standstill.
Barristers, bin workers, airport workers, college lecturers and cleaners are also on strike or are about to strike.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are also to take 10 days of strike action at 26 further education colleges this month and in October.
Strike dates are set to be announced by the GMB after refuse workers voted overwhelmingly for action at Waltham Forest in east London, while refuse worker members of Unite in the neighbouring borough of Newham began another two weeks of strike action against a zero per cent pay offer yesterday.
NHS nurses with the Royal College of Nursing will begin voting on strike action on October 6th, and more than 30,000 firefighters will vote next month on strike action over pay.
