Ford UK workers begin week-long strike over wages

Management staff working for Ford in the UK began a week of “selective industrial action” on Monday as a long-running dispute over pay and contract changes continues.

Unite members at the Ford motor plant in Dagenham will picket all week from 7am each day, while Ford Speke workers will strike Wednesday to Friday from 6am, the union.

It follows a day of strike action on October 30, which saw workers in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood walk off the job.

It is part of a dispute over Ford offering many office workers a one-time payment by 2024, rather than permanent pay increases, and imposing performance-related pay starting next year.

There is also a dispute over proposed changes to Ford’s long-standing sick pay policy and its collective bargaining agreement with Unite.

And Unite has warned that strikes will intensify if the dispute is not resolved.

For its part, Ford insists that its offer is competitive and above inflation, and that workers have received double-digit wage growth in recent years.

Workers, he says, also enjoy attractive pensions and benefits.

But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham described Ford’s offer as “a direct attack on the wages and conditions of its office workers for no reason other than corporate greed”.

He added: “Unite never accepts attacks on the jobs, wages or conditions of our members and the Ford workforce has the full backing of their union.”

A Ford spokesperson said: “Given the overall competitiveness of our overall employee payroll benefits and payments package, and the series of strong annual increases amounting to 20 percent over the past two years, the offer The company’s goal of a total pay increase of 5 percent by 2023/24 is fair and balanced.

“We will continue to engage with Unite and our valued employees and endeavor to resolve the matter.”

On the other hand, Ford managers represented by Unite are also in dispute with the company over salaries.

They have been “taking steps short of striking” over Ford’s proposed performance-related merit award, which they are not guaranteed to receive.

Alison Spencer-Scragg, Unite national officer, said: ‘Our members will not back down and are increasingly angry at Ford’s attacks on their pay and conditions.

“This dispute and the disruption it is causing to Ford’s operations will continue to worsen until the company presents acceptable offers to both its management and management personnel.”