Port of Liverpool dock workers begin two-week strike over pay

Dock workers at the Port of Liverpool have gone on strike until 3 October

Hundreds of dock workers have begun a strike in a dispute over pay.

Members of the Unite union at the Port of Liverpool have walked out for two weeks until 3 October.

Peel Ports Group, which operates the port, said workers had rejected a "significant pay package" which included an 8.3% rise and a one-off payment of £750.

Unite said it was a real-terms pay cut because of the rate of inflation and Peel could afford a higher increase.

The union's general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Workers across the country are sick to death of being told to take a hit on their wages and living standards while employer after employer is guilty of rampant profiteering."

She said the port's owners needed to table a "reasonable offer and fulfil its previous pay promises".

Workers decided to take the action in a dispute over their pay

Sharing a video on Unite's Twitter page, former Liverpool footballer Jamie Carragher said he was "fully behind" the strike.

"You've got my support and backing," he said.

David Huck, the port's chief operating officer, said: "I am deeply disappointed Unite has rejected our significant pay package after many months of negotiation.

"This is bad news for our employees, families and other local employers.

"We fully recognise our colleagues' concerns on the cost of living crisis, and that's why we have responded with a pay package that represents a 10% average increase in annual pay."

He urged the union to "work with us at the negotiating table" to find a resolution.

The company said it had also made a commitment to a shift pattern change that will result in a 25% reduction in night shift working.

The average salary for container operatives would increase to about £43,000 a year, the firm added.

Unite previously said more than 560 port operatives and engineers at the site would take part in the industrial action.

The Port of Liverpool operates two container terminals, the Royal Seaforth Container Terminal and Liverpool2.