Around 30 staff members have taken to strike action at Foyle Port in Londonderry today (29 November) over pay.
The strike, which is expected to disrupt operations at the port, is headed by members of the trade union Unite who are demanding a 2.1% pay rise for staff after suffering a pay freeze last year.
Speaking to the BBC, Unite representatives said many staff members are “struggling to make ends meet and now face a second year of poverty pay”. However, Foyle Port said the Unite statement “does not accurately reflect the context of the ongoing dispute with a minority of employees at Foyle Port”.
United General Secretary Sharon Graham also told the BBC :
“The effects of last year’s pay freeze combined with significant levels of inflation means that our members have had their pay cut in real terms,”
“Trying to make ends meet is getting tougher and tougher for our members and their families year by year.”
Unite are not alone in their strike efforts as Burke Shipping Services, also located within Foyle Port, have returned to strike action on Monday after joining the picket line last Friday over a separate pay issue.
