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  • "
    Huffter wrote:
    "...plans to close the final salary pension scheme to new starters and lower their rates of pay."
    Exactly what companies should be doing to help more people back to work. The important words are "new starters".
    Exactly! So why on earth are the existing workers moaning? Because they are scared that they will be next. Therefore, striking for something that does not yet, and may never affect them. I have taken my new employment on a fixed term contract as that is what the company are offering new starters at this stage. I hope and pray that I will have my contract renewed. This is how companies protect themselves in this current climate. At least I know that for x amount of months I have an income. Ford are not doing anything that other companies are not doing so get over it Ford employees and be grateful that you are in a job that is as secure as it can be at this time."
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Ford staff prepare to strike over pay and pensions

11:15am Saturday 16th June 2012 in Business Photograph of the Author By Matt Smith , Politics and business reporter

Ford's Southampton assembly plant Ford's Southampton assembly plant

Staff at Southampton’s Ford plant are preparing stage a 24-hour strike in a row over pay and pensions.

Unite, which represents about 1,200 white collar employees at the carmaker, said the walkout will start at 6am on Monday, affecting sites across the country including Southampton, Dagenham in Essex, Bridgend in South Wales, and Halewood on Merseyside.

The union said staff were ''furious'' at plans to close the final salary pension scheme to new starters and lower their rates of pay.

The dispute is understood to involve dozens of the 600 staff at Ford’s Southampton assembly plant in Swaythling, which makes around 28,000 Ford Transit vans a year.

Production workers are not involved in the dispute.

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.

''We fiercely oppose the closure of Ford's final salary scheme to new entrants because we believe ultimately Ford will try to close the entire scheme.

Ford must prove that it is committed to the UK by investing in its UK workforce. 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.

''The company is also refusing to back away from creating a two tier workforce by making new starters work for less money for doing the same job as existing staff. This is totally unacceptable.''

A Ford spokesman said: ''The issue giving rise to the industrial action relates to a disagreement between the company and a particular group of its employees in relation to their ongoing pay and benefit negotiations.

''Ford remains willing and available to continue discussions with the union representing these workers.

''The vast majority of the company's employees are not involved in this disagreement, or the decision to take industrial action.''

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