Announced Strike Action at Port of Felixstowe

September 24, 2022 – Update 08

As your integrated logistics provider, A. P. Moller – Maersk would like to provide an update regarding the strike action at the port of Felixstowe, which is planned to start at 7am on Tuesday 27 September and end at 6:59am on Wednesday 5 October.

Our teams continue to work hard on planning contingency measures to minimise delays for our customers’ supply chains. To help reduce delays, we are kindly asking you to please collect your import cargo as soon as possible upon discharge.

Next to contingency planning for the duration of the strike, our teams are preparing for the resumption of activities once the strike action is complete. We anticipate demand for carrier haulage to be at very high levels immediately after the strike and therefore encourage customers to book early. To help with planning, our live carrier haulage availability can be found here.

To maximise available labour immediately before and after the strike, a number of vessel ETAs have been advanced or delayed – as per the table below.

*Correct at the time of the advisory – subject to change

If your cargo is affected by the above contingencies, your local Customer Experience representative will reach out to you as your booking is updated. If you need further help or have any questions, please reach out to us via your usual contact or on (+44) 0330 912 0431.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this time. To help manage and plan your supply chain, we will keep providing you with the most up-to-date information as soon as it becomes available.

September 16, 2022 – Update 07

A. P. Moller – Maersk would like to inform you about the announced strike action at the Port of Felixstowe. Since our last communication, we understand that the planned strike action at the port of Felixstowe from 7am on Tuesday 27 September and ending at 6:59am on Wednesday 5 October will go ahead.

Our teams are working hard to establish a number of contingency measures to minimise the impact of strike action on our customers, including changes to the vessel line-up. To help reduce delays, we are kindly asking you to please collect your import cargo as soon as possible. For your convenience, our live carrier haulage availability can be found here.

To maximise available labour immediately before and after the strike, a number of vessel ETAs have been advanced or delayed – as per the table below.

For the two omitted vessels – L02 Vilnia Maersk 237W and SLC Cosco Vietnam 236N – the planned contingency to get import cargo back into the UK is as follows.

*Correct at the time of the advisory – subject to change

If your cargo is affected by the above contingencies, your local Customer Experience representative will reach out to you as your booking is updated. If you need further help or have any questions, please reach out to us via your usual contact or on (+44) 0330 912 0431.

Once the strike action is complete and normal service resumes, we anticipate demand for carrier haulage to be at very high levels and therefore encourage customers to book early. Our live carrier haulage availability can be found here.

We understand and appreciate your frustration with the situation at the port and thank you for your trust at this challenging time. Our teams continue to work hard to mitigate any delays to your supply chain and will keep you updated with any new developments.

September 14, 2022 – Update 06

A. P. Moller - Maersk would like to inform you about the announced strike actions at Port of Felixstowe and Port of Liverpool later this month.

The Union Unite has announced two strike actions at the ports, with the action at the Port of Felixstowe commencing at 7am on Tuesday 27 September and ending at 6:59am on Wednesday 5 October, and action at the Port of Liverpool starting at 6am on Monday 19 September and ending at 6am on Monday 3 October. The strike actions are expected to cause operational delays with potential ripple effects on other ports in Europe.

The Port of Felixstowe stated that the collective bargaining process has been exhausted, while the Port of Liverpool is urging Unite to keep the negotiations going. Maersk is closely monitoring the situation in both cases and will continue to keep you updated on any developments.

Our teams are working hard on planning appropriate contingencies to mitigate the impact on our customers, and we expect to share more information in the coming days as we finalise the planning. To help reduce delays, we are kindly asking you to please collect your import cargo from both ports as soon as possible. For your convenience, our live carrier haulage availability can be found here.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work through the contingency planning. While we are doing all in our power to minimise the impact of the strike actions on your supply chain, for the sake of planning ahead, please reach out to your local Customer Experience representative to discuss best available options for your cargo moving forward. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

September 01, 2022 – Update 05

The eight-day strike at the Port of Felixstowe has officially ended and terminal operations have now returned to normal.

During the strike period, Maersk teams worked hard to establish appropriate planning and contingencies to minimise disruption to customer supply chains, as well as provide all the information needed to plan ahead effectively.

To give you as much visibility on the future situation and further minimise delays, please see below for the latest changes to our vessel line-up.

*Correct at the time of the advisory – subject to change

If your cargo is affected by the above contingencies, your local Customer Experience representative will contact you as your booking is updated. If you need further help or have any questions, please reach out to us via your usual contact or on (+44) 0330 912 0431.

We would like to thank you for your trust and understanding throughout a challenging period at Felixstowe. We look forward to continuing to support your supply chain needs in the future. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

August 24, 2022 – Update 04

At the Port of Felixstowe, strike action is currently under way until Monday 29 August and having a significant impact on logistics operations in and out of the UK.

Since the strike was announced, A.P. Moller – Maersk teams have been hard at work looking to minimise disruption to customer supply chains and give you all the tools and information needed to plan ahead effectively.

Our contingency measures are in place to combat the circumstances at Felixstowe, including making changes to our vessel line-up to maximise available labour at the immediate conclusion of the strike. Please see below for the latest details:

*Correct at the time of the advisory – subject to change

As strike action will continue until Monday 29 August, normal business will resume across the port from 7am on Tuesday 30 August. Once service does resume, we anticipate demand for carrier haulage to be at very high levels and therefore encourage customers to book early. Our live carrier haulage availability can be found here.

If your cargo is affected by the above contingencies, your local Customer Experience representative will reach out to you as your booking is updated. If you need further help or have any questions, please get in touch with us via your usual contact or on +44 3309 120429.

We will continue to do all in our power to minimise the impact of strike action on your supply chain and look forward to continuing to serve your integrated logistics needs in the future. If you have any queries at, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

August 17, 2022 – Update 03

In the interest of providing our customers with reliable news on latest developments, A.P. Moller – Maersk is providing an update on the strike action at the Port of Felixstowe, together with our contingency plans and actions.

Hutchison Ports and the Union Unite have been unable to reach an agreement after a revised pay offer was put to workers but rejected by the hourly branch of Unite. The staff branch of Unite & Police Federation of Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company have agreed to put the offer to their members for ballot. At this moment, no further talks are scheduled.

Our teams remain at your disposal at all times so please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Customer Experience team with any questions.

August 09, 2022 – Update 02

A.P. Moller – Maersk is aware of the announced eight-day strike action at the Port of Felixstowe later this month. The strike action is planned to start on Sunday 21 August, and end on Monday 29 August, and is expected to cause significant operational delays. Negotiations between the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company and the union Unite are scheduled to continue today, 8 August.

Our teams continue working hard on planning appropriate contingencies and expect to share concrete details and actions we are taking shortly. As we work through the planning, we appreciate your understanding and support, and will keep you updated on any developments, as the situation can change in line with the ongoing negotiations.

For the sake of planning ahead, we encourage you to reach out to your local Customer Experience representative to discuss available options to mitigate the impact of the strike action. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your local Sealand Maersk team.

August 02, 2022 – Update 01

A.P. Moller – Maersk is aware of potential strike action at the Port of Felixstowe this month, which could result in significant delays across supply chains in the UK. Negotiations are still ongoing between the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company and the union Unite, and while specific strike dates are yet to be announced, we are aware workers voted in favour of action last week.

Our teams are working hard to understand the impact the potential strike might have and are planning appropriate contingencies should the strike go ahead as announced. The situation is, however, still developing and is subject to change in line with the ongoing negotiations.

We are closely monitoring the situation and will communicate any developments, as well as potential influence on overall operations, as soon as possible. For the sake of planning ahead, we encourage you to reach out to your local Customer Experience representative to discuss available options to mitigate the impact of the strike action should it go ahead as planned.

While the situation can change at short notice, we will do our utmost to provide you with the information and support needed to efficiently manage your supply chain. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your local Sealand Maersk team.