A ballot of dock workers that could bring long-running strike action at the Port of Liverpool to an end will close tomorrow.
It was announced yesterday that industrial action scheduled for next week at the port was called off after an agreement was reached between officials from Unite the Union and the Peel Group. Hundreds of dock workers have staged walk outs for the past two months in a row over pay and conditions at the port.
In a statement, Peel Ports Group, which operates the Port of Liverpool’s container terminals alongside Terminal Investments Limited, said it had reached an agreed proposal with Unite. Details of the deal have not been released but it was said Unite would fully recommend the terms to its members to be balloted on.
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A spokesperson for the union confirmed to the ECHO that the vote would close tomorrow. Members are voting with container operators as to whether they will formally accept the offer.
As a result, Bobby Morton, Unite national officer for transport, and David Huck, Peel Ports’ Chief Operating Officer, confirmed a strike planned for November 14 will not go ahead. More than 500 port operatives from Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC) voted in favour of a strike in August in response to a 7% pay offer made by the company as well as what they describe as a failure to honour its 2021 pay agreement and failing to deliver on an agreement to improve shift rotas.
In a ballot of union members, 99% backed a proposal to walk out on an 88% turnout.
Unite said in September that senior control room operators and control room operators will join port operatives and engineer colleagues in a week-long strike from October 11.
The strikes were the latest in a series of walkouts by unions across Merseyside this year, with bus drivers from Arriva and RMT members also leaving their posts in a dispute over pay and conditions. Workers had also expressed their discontent at what they describe as a failure to honour a pay agreement struck in 2021.
A further week-long strike had been expected to begin from next Monday, marking the fourth round of industrial action. During the last action, both sides blamed each other for the walkout, with the Unite accusing Peel Ports management of "reneging" on a deal, while bosses said their offered pay rise was "the highest percentage increase of any port group in the UK."
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