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Ford staff to strike over pay and pensions

Ford staff at seven different sites will stage a 24 hour strike on Monday in protest against pension and pay plans.

Union Unite say staff voted by 67% on a 100% turnout for strike action, that will take place from 6am on Monday until 6am on Tuesday.

The strike will affect sites at Dagenham in Essex, Bridgend in South Wales, Halewood on Merseyside, Daventry, Warley, Southampton and Basildon.

Ford is closing the final salary scheme to new starters, and the union believes this is the ‘thin end of the wedge’ and will lead to the ultimate closure of the company’s final salary pension scheme for all Ford staff.

The manufacturer is also proposing to introduce lower rates of pay for new entrants, a move the union says will make rates of pay significantly less than the pay of existing staff doing the same work, with no mechanism for progression.

Unite national officer Roger Maddison said: “Our staff members will not stand by and allow Ford to create a two tier workforce on pay and pensions.

“To date Ford has failed to make any genuine attempts to resolve this dispute. Unless there is a last minute change of heart from the company Ford faces a national strike this Monday.

“The UK has the best sales in Europe, there’s no excuse to attack the terms and conditions of a new generation of Ford staff.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .