Ford of Britain Unite union members are being balloted today (27 January) for strike action in a row surrounding what the labour body claims are job security and pensions issues.
Around 5,000 mainly production line Unite members are casting their strike votes today at Ford’s six UK sites: Bridgend, Daventry, Dunton, Halewood and two plants in Dagenham, with the result expected at the beginning of February.
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“They are voting at the moment,” a Unite spokesman in London told just-auto. “It is to do with what happened in the past – the closure of Southampton [for example] and the fact there were once around 150,000 people working for Ford and now there are far fewer.
“We are talking about job security – this is more about preventative measures to make sure we can protect jobs. The company has not come to the negotiating table with serious offers, so we are now in a position where workers have called for a ballot for industrial action.”
Ford has axed its Transit van assembly plant in Southampton, as well as the stamping and tooling operations in Dagenham, as part of a European rationalisation programme that will also see its Genk factory in Belgium close.
“The company has a long established practice of negotiating the pay, conditions and working practices of employees with its partner unions in the UK,” said a statement sent by Ford to just-auto.
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By GlobalData“In 2011 a two-year agreement was reached and we re-entered discussions in 2013, recognising the priority for industry-leading levels of cost, efficiency and competitiveness.
“This process has been completed for some employees but is still underway between the company and unions for other areas of the workforce. There is nothing further to add regarding these negotiations.”
Unite cited the loss of 1,500 UK jobs, claiming Ford workers were “fed up with always bearing the brunt of cuts,” and is calling on the automaker to improve its company pension scheme.
“Ford workers in the UK are always on the frontline when the company wants to axe staff,” said Unite national officer, Roger Maddison.
“After successive rounds of job cuts including the closure of the Southampton plant, staff now want Ford to make some commitments to job security going forward.
“This is not an unreasonable request but the company is refusing to give its loyal UK workforce and their families some well-deserved rights in line with their EU counterparts.
“Workers are also angry that the company is refusing to look at ways to improve the pension scheme. Workers on the production line feel they have no choice and are balloting for strike action to get the company back around the negotiating table.”
