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Storm gathers at 23 UK ports

17th February 2005
Page 7
Page 7, 17th February 2005 — Storm gathers at 23 UK ports
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CON'IAINER OPERATORS are facing massive disruption as 300 workers at 23 ports are threatening to strike.

The threat of a walkout comes after crane drivers and dockers rejected a 2.9% pay offer from Associated British Ports (ABP) by a vote of three to one (CM 12 August 2004). Further talks have failed to resolve the dispute.

ABP ports include Southampton, Plymouth, and Tilbury.

T&G national organiser Colin Can says:" Our members gave us a clear indication that they were prepared to have a full industrial action ballot if negotiations failed. We met with ABP and made it clear we were prepared to negotiate to avoid a dispute.

"We would now urge ABP to recognise the mood has changed and people are running out of patience."

Mike Lewry, transport manager at Totton-based Elite Transport Services, says a strike would be disastrous:"If it went on for a week or so I could see lot of companies forced to make redundancies."

ABP says it has revised its recent offer of a three-year pay deal to a 2.9% rise for 2004 and 3.5% for 2005 in line with inflation, plus 0.5% for 2006.

The T&G plans to ballot for industrial action.

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