THE firm that runs Southampton’s container terminal has dismissed unions’ claims that strike action will bring the port to a halt.

Port health workers will join a massive walkout at the city council next week in protest at pay cuts being imposed on thousands of staff.

It could stop containers of food or animal products leaving the docks and disrupt sanitation certificates for cruise liners, container ships and oil tankers.

Union leaders said that the strike by 13 port health officials could cost the city an estimated £1m a day.

But a spokeswoman for DP World Southampton, which operates the container terminal at the docks, insisted: “DP World Southampton will continue to operate as normal.

“We anticipate minimal disruption to our container terminal operations.

The strike by port health workers will only affect foodstuffs arriving at the container terminal, which is a very small percentage of our throughput.”

ABP Southampton port director Doug Morrison said that one in ten containers could be delayed by the strikes, which would not have a “catastrophic” impact.

The container terminal, jointly owned by DP World and ABP, handles around two million containers.