New data from FourKites shows delays and drastic changes in the frequency of inbound shipments at two UK ports during strike action from September-November 2022.
FourKites saw plummets in the number of shipments arriving into Liverpool throughout all three periods of strike action in the last few months. During the week of the third strike in late October, FourKites’ customer shipments into Liverpool were down 92% week-over-week.
The same was the case in Felixstowe, where the supply chain visibility platform noted that the port’s arrivals, which previously made up 20% of all UK port arrivals, dropped to 0%. On the first day of strike action in Felixstowe, the average time that shipments spent at the terminal was 5.5 days. This grew by 87% to an average of 10.3 days, dropping back to 3.8 days after the initial strike ended.
The action was sparked by demands for increased pay for workers in response to inflation and the rising cost of living. While reports claim that the strikes in Liverpool have come to an end after a deal was agreed, it is unclear if disputes in Felixstowe have been resolved.
