Quarter of UK’s seaborne trade could be blocked as strike action brews across ports
Exclusive: A quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade could be blocked as industrial action brews across 21 ports across the country over a dispute about medical assessments.
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Your support makes all the difference.Strike action could block sea ports all across the country as industrial disputes take place over compulsory medical examinations for port workers.
Unite has warned Associated British Ports (ABP) that strike action could take place across its 21 ports which handle around a quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade.
The dispute comes after workers were unhappy that ABP introduced increased medical standards without their consultation, which Unite say is required under health and safety legislation and Unite’s recognition agreement.
The workers affected are maritime pilots who safely navigate ships in and out of the UK’s waterways and ports. Only around sixty individuals are trained to do the job in the country.
Unite said in a statement: “Maritime pilots are scarce, skilled and highly experienced. Ships can’t leave or enter the UK’s ports without them. So it’s all the more incredible that ABP Ports is refusing to negotiate important changes to their health and safety [requirements].
“Unite is not opposed to enhanced checks,” they continued. “But they need to be negotiated and introduced fairly. ABP needs to realize that Unite stands ready to defend our members’ jobs, terms and conditions.”
One worker spoke to The Independent about his reasons for striking but wished to remain anonymous due to the high likelihood of him being identified.
“I’ve got a number of issues,” he said. “We aren’t against enhanced medical checks, but we do wish to be consulted. The ABP is constantly talking about engagement, but they haven’t spoken to us about this decision at all.”
The ABP pilot also said that there was a sense of loyalty and community among the maritime pilots due to their small number, with many starting a career in their thirties, undertaking an extensive five-year training process and then staying in the job until retirement.
“People are worried about whether they will pass or fail this test,” he said. “If we knew what the standards were we wouldn’t be as worried. A lot of us are getting on a bit, and it’s a physical job so it could lead to some people not working anymore.”
He said that the pilots ranged in age from 30 to late-sixties and there were a “wide range of people and physical capabilities”. He said: “As you get older things don’t work as they once did, you can still do what needs to be done, but there are concerns from many of the workers.”
Ports said to be affected include Southampton, known as Britain’s “Gateway to the World” and is the UK’s number one export port. It is also Britain’s largest port for automotive and Europe’s number one turnaround port for cruise.
Hull, which sees large quantities of softwood timber come through its ports, is likely to be affected, while Humber and Immingham could be hit by strikes too. The latter port handles as much as 46 million tonnes of cargo a year.
The strikes could also affect south Wales, especially Swansea, Port Talbot, Barry, Cardiff and Newport, areas which handle a total of around £1bn of trade every year.
“Pilots hold the keys to the kingdom,” said one worker. “If we stop nothing happens, big ships don’t move. We hold the key. The Royal Navy took seven years to implement changes to medical assessments in consultation with the people affected, that’s all we want.”
Unite have written to ABP this week to say they have formally entered into a dispute and that the industrial action process could begin as early as next week. If negotiations aren’t successful and if a strike mandate is agreed, pilots could go on strike by the end of December or early next year which is over the Christmas and New Year period.
An ABP spokesperson said: “The health, safety and wellbeing of all colleagues is of critical importance to ABP. Having reviewed our already comprehensive package of health provision for our maritime colleagues, we have implemented a new regular health assessment to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of maritime colleagues, reflecting the demanding nature of the roles they carry out.
“We are disappointed that Unite have chosen to oppose the introduction of these measures, which we strongly believe are in the interests of their members. We continue to engage with Union representatives and the mention of industrial action is unhelpful.”
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