THE port of Southampton has vowed to stay open despite threats from trade union leaders to bring the docks to a standstill in a national wrangle over pay and working conditions.

Associated British Ports (ABP), the owners and operators of the city's docks, said less than ten members of staff out of more than 1,000 workers within the port were subject to collective bargaining.

However, a T&G union spokesman claimed Southampton was one of their four most significant centres in the UK and that ABP should not underestimate the impact their members could make in any future action.

Andrew Kent, ABP's port director in Southampton, said he was confident that any industrial disruption would have no effect in the city.

"There is no threat to the trade in the docks,'' said Mr Kent.

"Quite simply our operating capability and that of our customers would not be hit. The port is open and that is how it is going to remain.''

Unlike other ports, such as Hull, Immingham and Ipswich, in Southampton there is not a large concentration of trade union membership as the vast majority of ABP's employees are covered by personal contracts.

It is known that a number of shipping lines have contacted the dock operator with concerns following the announcement of a ballot by the T&G, which could possibly lead to a strike by its members, but ABP has assured the companies that it will be business as usual in Southampton.

ABP has purposely kept a low profile in the dispute until now as it considered any potential union action would have little or no effect on Southampton and the dock owner did not want to be brought into a public war of words.

"Southampton stevedores are mostly employed by private companies and are not involved in the present negotiations, and relationships between management and staff are extremely good in the city,'' said Mr Kent.

Union bosses, who are pushing for 23 days holiday a year, two weeks fully paid paternity leave and a one hour reduction in the working week to 38 hours, have rejected a 2.9 per cent pay offer from ABP.

Unlike in early times the impact of any docks strike on Great Britain's national economy would be limited compared to that in previous days, as major ports such as Felixstowe, Dover and Liverpool would be unaffected.

A spokesman for the T&G, who have not given any date for the ballot, said if a dispute did take place names of any ships attempting to break a strike would be collected and sent to workers in ports overseas.