The Birmingham Post reports that the Transport and General Workers’ Union has announced further strikes at Aston Martin. Employees will go on strike for a week from September 29 in a row over their working practices.
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It follows meetings with shop stewards which decided to increase the pressure on the Ford owned luxury sports car maker.
A TGWU statement said: ‘Union representatives have been frustrated by the apparent determination on the part of Aston Martin to push through the controversial changes to working practices, despite the unhappiness of staff and willingness of the union to negotiate.’
The dispute is over new rotas, nicknamed the ‘Martini’ shifts as production workers fear they will be required to work anytime and anywhere the company wants (a reference to the tagline on aired in the 1970s TV commercials for alcoholic beverage Martini Bianco).
The dispute involves Aston Martin’s sites at Bloxham, Gaydon and Newport Pagnell. Aston Martin workers have already staged two one-day strikes in recent weeks.
The prospect of ‘Martini’ shifts have also been causing major concern among workers at Land Rover’s Solihull plant. Workers there have been presented a shopping list of working practices changes proposed by management which Land Rover workers have been reluctant to implement.
The row has been seen as part of the reason why Ford decided to move the Freelander out of Solihull and transfer it to Liverpool at the price of 1,000 jobs.
