Another Major Port Strike? There will be Severe Disruptions to the Supply Chain

From South Korean truck drivers, German port workers, British railway workers, Belgian union laborers, Canadian railway workers, and Spanish truck drivers, to thousands of American airline pilots and European airline employees, protests or strike action.

Waves of protests and strikes involving global air, sea, and sea transport have made supply chains worse. On one hand, there are the full-yard terminals; on the other hand, there are the wharves, railways, and road transport workers protesting against strikes for wages. Under the double blow, the shipping schedule and delivery time will be further delayed.

Reuters (London) July 28 (Reuters) - Workers at Britain's largest container port Felixstowe voted for strike action over a wage dispute, the Unite union said on Thursday, warning that the entire supply chain would be disrupted. A serious interruption occurred.

With wages not keeping pace with inflation, dockworkers have joined a growing wave of strikes by workers in a range of industries, from railroads to telecommunications. Inflation in the UK is expected to hit double digits by the end of the year.

"The strike action will bring Felixstowe to a standstill and will cause significant logistical problems for sea and road transport into the port," the union said in a statement.

United's regional officer, Miles Hubbard, said strike action would "inevitably cause massive disruption to the UK's supply chain". The union said workers at the Felixstowe terminal, operated by Hutchison Ports, have received a 5 percent pay rise.

"The company made an offer that we believe to be very fair, and we are disappointed by the vote." "We hope any strike action can be avoided," a port spokesman said, adding that the union had agreed to work with the mediation service next week. ACAS meeting request.

The union did not give a specific date for the strike action, but it can be confirmed that it will take place next month and is supported by 92 percent of voters.

It is worth noting that more than 50,000 workers in the British railway system have even arranged the strike plan for August after the largest strike in nearly 30 years in June, and will continue on August 18 and August 20 respectively. strike. Maersk issued an announcement saying it would cause significant disruption to the rail network across the UK.

In addition, earlier this month, United said it was also voting on hundreds of dockworkers in Liverpool for possible strike action.

More than 500 dockworkers in Liverpool will vote on whether to strike over wages and working conditions. The action could bring the port of Peel, one of the UK's largest container ports, to a "virtual standstill" at the end of August.

“It is inevitable that strike action will severely impact shipping and road transport and create supply chain shortages, but this dispute is entire of Port Peel’s own making. United Farmers has held extensive negotiations with the company, but it has refused to address members’ concerns concerned," said Steven Gerrard, the union's regional officer.

As the UK's second largest port group, Peel Port handles more than 70 million tonnes of cargo each year. The strike action vote will begin on July 25 and end on August 15.

It is worth noting that the big European ports can no longer withstand the toss, and these strikes have largely paralyzed cargo handling in major ports such as Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven. Although the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands has not gone on strike, due to the transfer of cargo volumes in the ports of Hamburg and Antwerp, the port is also relatively busy, and the waiting time for ships to enter the port is prolonged.