Strike action is set to recommence at the Port of Liverpool for two weeks after Unite union members reject Peel Ports’ improved pay offer.
The union had gone into negotiations with Peel Ports’ management to work out a deal, a deal it claimed the company has now “reneged” on.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “The Unite team negotiated in good faith with Peel Ports. But the talks ended in farce, with the deal agreed between Unite and senior management being pulled by the board.
“Strike action by our member sand with the full support of Unite will go ahead. Peel Ports’ untrustworthy behaviour and its attempts to threaten the workforce are only escalating the dispute.”
The two week strike is scheduled to begin on October 24 as the union claims that Peel Ports’ board “continues to refuse to give workers a decent pay rise whilst profit soar”.
Peel Ports has paid out £300m in dividends over the last five years and recently recorded pre-tax profit of £141m.
David Huck, Peel Ports’ COO, said: “It is hugely disappointing that Unite has staged yet another outdated show-of-hands mass meeting which has, very predictably, failed to support our improved 11% pay offer.”
According to Huck, this is the highest percentage increase of any port group in the UK “by far” and would see average annual pay rise to $43,275.
He added: “Given we have now improved our offer six times and Unite have consistently blocked the involvement of ACAS to help arbitrate, you have to question whether the union really wants to resolve this damaging industrial action or is simply prolonging it for their own ends.
“The fact that they have refused to give all employees an independent postal vote on this 11% offer, free from the pressures and undue influence of an outdated show-of-hands, is very telling.”
Huck claimed that the feedback from many workers is that they are in favour of accepting but are too reluctant to do so in a mass meeting.
“It’s wholly irresponsible to prolong its self-defeating strike. They should have the courage to put this to members and let them have their say,” Huck said. “It’s the only way to safeguard as many jobs as possible and implement the most generous pay increase in the industry.”
Unite national officer Robert Morton said: “Our members resolve is only increasing with every new low the company sinks to. They know Peel Ports can afford to pay a proper increase and that is what has to happen.”
The latest strike will cause further damage to Peel Ports’ customers, the business and the Liverpool City Region, according to Huck.
