Ford faces 1,200 worker walkouts as major strike action expected over pay disputes
Workers to strike over pay
PA
Popular car brand Ford is at risk of facing major industrial action in the upcoming weeks which will affect 1,200 workers.
According to Unite Union, staff in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood will strike about pay conditions and contract changes.
The strike action is set to take place on August 22 with Ford managers already having a strike mandate and are currently engaging in industrial action short of strikes.
The workers are in dispute with Ford over “unacceptable pay offers” and contract changes which have failed to meet an agreement with the car brand.
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Ford negotiations fell through with Unite
FORDUnite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Ford’s relationship with its white-collar staff has never been worse. Instead of engaging with Unite, the company has resorted to threats and bullying to try and prevent staff from taking industrial action.
“The intimidation tactics have failed – our members know the company is simply trying to boost its huge profits at the expense of their wages.
“They have Unite’s full support in taking industrial action for a fair pay rise.”
According to the union, the company has offered many of its office workers a “non-consolidated” one-off payment for 2024.
But despite that, Ford also wants to impose 100 per cent performance related pay from 2025.
It is also looking at reducing sick pay and changing the collective bargaining agreement with Unite.
In response, Unite has offered counter proposal to end both disputes but claims Ford is refusing to engage in good faith negotiations.
Unite national officer Alison Spencer-Scragg added: “Sadly our members have lost all confidence in Ford’s UK leadership. These disputes have been needlessly escalated because of their attempts to bully staff into swallowing completely unacceptable deals.”
She warned that industrial action by more than 1,500 white collar staff will “severelyimpact” Ford’s UK operations and there is a limited amount of time before full coordinated strikes are announced.
“Unite has now written to company’s senior leadership in the USA to step in before these disputes escalate further,” she stated.
Ford workers had previously agreed to strike in February over pay issues affecting 3,000 employees.
The existing offers put forward by Ford consisted of a one-off payment of five per cent for worker salaries in 2024, rather than annual wage increases across the board.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Unite workers rejected counter offer by Ford
FORDThis offer was rejected by over 90 per cent of both sets of workers while management grades, who have recently achieved union recognition, were offered a performance-related bonus payment, but no guarantee of a cost of living increase payment.
A Ford spokesperson told GB News: "We will continue to engage with Unite and our employees on the fair and balanced offer that reflects an already highly competitive pay and benefits package.”
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