33 Container Ships Affected
On the 21st local time, about 1,900 workers in the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom launched an 8-day strike action that day to protest that the increase in wages was not as good as the increase in prices. News commentary said the strike may continue to disrupt Britain’s supply chain and exacerbate Britain’s inflation crisis.
After months of negotiations, on July 28, 80% of Felixstowe Port Union workers voted to decide whether to accept Felixstowe Port’s offer of £500 plus a 7% pay rise. 92% supported the strike. The company has not raised their salaries in months, according to the strike announcement issued on Aug. 5.
The Port of Felixstowe said on the 19th that there would be no winners from the strike, regretting the impact on the UK’s supply chain. However, the strike will only bring “inconvenience rather than disaster” because most businesses are used to disruptive elements during the Covid-19. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest and busiest container port in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. The port handles more than 4 million containers a year, accounting for nearly half of the country’s container trade.
The strike is expected to have a severe impact on supply chains and could result in more than $800 million in trade losses according to the analysis. Product delivery and supply for retailers and multiple industries, including automotive, will be affected.
Maersk adjusts the schedule
In the face of the strike, the shipping company Maersk stated that it is taking emergency measures to minimize the impact of the strike, including adjusting the ports and schedule of ships, the arrival time of some ships will be advanced or delayed, and some ships will be unloaded in advance.
33 container ships were affected by the strike
Meanwhile, global information technology company IQAX, which has released data on currently affected container ships, said the strike would severely disrupt trade, causing delays and forcing ships to reroute.
As of Aug. 21, 33 vessels were affected, according to IQAX, a number that could change in the coming days. More ship delays will follow later in the week. I would like to remind you that if there are goods shipped to the Port of Felixstowe in the near future, pay attention to the adjustment of the shipping schedule.
The following vessels are likely to be affected by the strike:
