Dock workers at the Port of Liverpool have returned to the picket line this morning as they continue their fight for better wages and pay.
Port operatives, engineers and control room operatives from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company went ahead with their second week of planned strike action in defiance of warnings of job losses from parent company Peel Ports.
The company recently announced plans to cut 132 jobs as it makes changes to its containers division following a decline in the volume of cargo handled by the port.
READ MORE: Dock workers returning to picket line after negotiations fail
Unite the Union leader Sharon Graham said the company was making "a cynical attempt to intimidate workers". But a Peel Ports spokesman said the move was necessary to minimise potential greater job losses further down the line.
Dock worker Ste Saunders said: "The lads are angry because it's not just about pay any more, it's about jobs as well. If they are going to threaten our jobs, we're going to fight for them. The union has made it clear that we will not accept any redundancies being compulsory.
"They are saying they want to build business back, but now they are threatening to dilute the workforce even further by getting rid of workers. All they are going to do, if they get rid of the workers, is end up with the remaining workers doing 50, 60 hours a week.
"They have changed this from a dispute about pay to a dispute about jobs and pay, and there's only one thing we're going to do when it comes to our jobs, which is fight."
Unite the Union members and Peel Ports bosses returned to the negotiating table last week following strike action spanning from September 23 until October 3, however, an agreement could not be reached.
Peel Ports claimed workers had rejected a 10.3% pay rise offer, and demanded a 15.7% pay rise, almost double the 8.2% rate of inflation set out by the Consumer Prices Index with Housing (CPIH) in June, when the initial pay negotiations took place.
But Unite the Union said the pay rise offer was in fact 8.3%, which was rejected as it was not in-line with the rate of inflation according to the Retail Price Index (RPI), which currently stands at 12.3%.
Dock worker Michael Garnett said striking employees believed the looming job cuts had been announced as "a threat to scare people back to work before Christmas."
He said: "Most of the ship hands on strike are getting £350 off the union to get by each week, which is almost exactly the same as what they'd be getting paid after a week's work, which says a lot about how low the wages are.
"They are trying to starve us back to work, and it won't happen. It's only been two weeks. Everyone is still upbeat and determined to stay out here until we get what we want."
It is not yet known among the workers whether the job cuts will affect only Liverpool, or the whole of Peel Ports.
Unite senior shop steward John Lynch said: "We received a confirmation on September 9 there would be no redundancies, so it seems to be that, because we have gone on strike, they are using the threat of job losses to attack us. It 100% feels like retaliation."
He said bosses had cancelled plans for further negotiations last week, and had failed to arrange any further meetings with the union.
Peel Ports, meanwhile, said the union had refused a meeting with ACAS, the independent advisory, conciliation and arbitration service, which would support mediation between the parties.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Peel Ports’ plan is to pile up even more profit at the expense of its workers and their families. These regurgitated, months-old plans are simply a desperate attempt to intimidate workers. It won’t work.
“The employer MDHC is part of Peel Ports, which recently reported a record profit before tax of £141m, greater than the entire wage bill for the year. Peel Ports has paid out more than £300m in dividends over the last five years."
Around 600 dock workers are expected to strike until October 17. A further two weeks of action has been planned from October 24 until November 7.
A spokesperson for Peel Ports said: “Unite continues to make unrealistic and unsustainable above-inflation pay demands, whilst declining a meeting with ACAS
“We are concerned Unite have no interest in resolving matters through the collective bargaining arrangements we have in place or via an independent ballot, as it continues to push for more strikes.
“Our average 10.2% basic pay increase offered in talks last week represents an industry leading deal and is 2% above inflation, at the time of the pay anniversary and review in June.
“Ongoing strikes are hurting Liverpool City Region’s businesses and prospects for future growth and jobs, at a time of economic uncertainty and volatile market conditions.
“We call on Unite to reconsider the greatly enhanced offer via an independent ballot, so we can bring these damaging strikes to an end."
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