A union has revealed plans for a strike next month that it says will bring operations at the UK’s largest container port to a “standstill”.

Unite made the threat while revealing the results of a ballot among its members at Felixstowe, employed by international ports operator CK Hutchison.

The union said workers backed industrial action over pay by 92% on an 81% turnout.

“The dispute is a result of the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company offering a pay increase of just 5% to its workers,” Unite said.

“This is an effective pay cut with the real (RPI) rate of inflation currently standing at 11.9%.

“Last year the workforce received a below inflation pay increase of 1.4%”.

Felixstowe was yet to comment but the prospect of halts to operations would have devastating effects for the UK supply chain as it handles almost half the country’s container traffic.

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It is also no stranger to disruption as backlogs set in ahead of Christmas last year because of a shortage of HGV drivers.

Hong-Kong-based CK Hutchison is one of the world’s leading container terminal and port service operators.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The bottom line is this is an extremely wealthy company that can fully afford to give its workers a pay rise.

“Instead it chose to give bonanza pay outs to shareholders touching £100m.

“Unite is focused on defending the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and we will giving 100% support to our members at Felixstowe.

“Workers should not be paying the price for the pandemic with a pay cut.

“Unite has undertaken 360 disputes in a matter of months and we will do all in our power to defend workers.”

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