2:29 pm, June 3, 2024
Hundreds of managers at Ford Motor Company’s UK sites will begin industrial action later this month in a row over pay.
News of the action was announced by trade union Unite this lunchtime (Jun 3), which has accused the carmaker of ‘corporate’ greed.
It said if the dispute is not resolved strike action will take place.
In a ballot, the managers voted ‘overwhelmingly’ to reject Ford’s pay offer of ‘only a performance related merit award, which they are not guaranteed to receive’, said the union.
It added that the Blue Oval has ‘refused’ to enter into ‘meaningful negotiations’ and rejected the union’s request to enter talks with the independent conciliation service Acas, ‘even though the workers organised and achieved union recognition in 2023’.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Not content with making billions in profits, Ford has decided to try and attack our members’ pay out of sheer corporate greed.
‘Performance related payments give no guarantee of an actual pay rise and leave these workers in danger of facing cuts to their wages. They are absolutely right to take industrial action and they have the full support of Unite in doing so.”
Ford’s sites in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood are affected.
Unite said the managers will begin ‘working to rule’ and overtime will be banned on June 14.
Unite national officer Alison Spencer-Scragg said: ‘Ford signed a collective agreement for these workers last year, but since then has caused widespread anger by completely disregarding it. It is completely unacceptable that Ford is trying to impose a corporate performance model that undervalues this key management group’s contribution to the company’s success.
‘Workers have organised for a voice surrounding their pay and conditions and expect their union to be treated respectfully through a recognised collective process.
‘This dispute will continue to escalate unless Ford engages in meaningful negotiations, with an intention to reach agreement surrounding the very reasonable resolutions already tabled by Unite.’
A Ford spokesperson told Car Dealer: ‘We regret that it has resulted in this outcome considering the fair and balanced offer made and the competitiveness of our LL6 pay and benefits package.
‘We will continue to engage with Unite and our employees and endeavour to resolve the matter.’
