FELIXSTOWE: 'PROTOTYPE' DOCK

Workers Press no. 843, 16 August 1972 · scan page 7

Topics: Docks

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Felixstowe Dock, which in 1955 employed nine men, now claims to be one of the largest container ports in Britain. Last year 100,000 containers passed through and first six months of 1972 alone a total of 1,115,385 tons were handled-expected to top the 24 million mark by year end.

The newest and most up-to-date of the Haven Portsrelixstowe, Harwich (Navyard) and Ipswich-is responsible for the 'greater part' of the atlantic trade, most of it snatched from Liverpool, Hull and even the equally-modern Tilbury.

Apart from from 259 dockers Felixstowe's 425 reluctantly' gave in to pressure from Transport and General Workers' Union officials and the threat of 2,000 pickets and joined the stoppage, there has never, ever, , been a strike.

The dockers, who are outside the National Dock Labour Scheme, are paid £l an hour with time-and-a-half for overtime. On average they work 60 hours a week, giving them a standard of living second to none in the area.

For almost a decade, Felixstowe — which was Britain's first container port-(Hull pioneered roll-on, roll-off services) has been known as test bed for prototype equipment'.

Dockers and management share the belief that the work system and pay structures evolved there exercised major influence on the 1967 Devlin report.

The management of the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company, owned by H. Gordon Parker, makes no secret of the fact that the port has been built up on the corpses of Britain's older docks.

No other British port, except London, has sold itself on Felixstowe's scale and trouble-free, ensured that its reputation has filtered through to every shipping man in Europe and on America's east coast.

As strikes and high port charges have driven operators Photograph by Martin Mayer. to look outside London, Liverpool and Hull, Felixstowe dockers have had no qualms at being the beneficiaries.

A 1968 progress report by a local journalist pointed out: 'When another port is having labour disputes Mr (lan) Trelawny (the chief executive director) is prepared to send to those whose goods are being delayed what he describes as a discreet letter pointing out the joys of Felixstowe.