12:00pm Friday 17th July 2009
Exclusive By Simon Carr
ALMOST 100 contract workers will be going out on strike from the giant Southampton Ford factory, the Daily Echo can reveal.
The walkout comes after top-level talks between union leaders and Penkse Logistics bosses failed to resolve a bitter pay row.
They will down tools at 11am on Wednesday for four hours.
Unite Union boss Ian Woodland said: “Negotiations are continuing but I have given the company formal notification of this strike.
“We hope to resolve the situation as soon as possible.”
If a last-minute deal can be brokered the strike may be averted but staff say they believe that is unlikely.
The row was sparked after the company axed shift payments and tried to push pay talks back six months.
Tensions have been mounting among the 126-strong workforce after two rounds of redundancies cost the firm more than 40 jobs.
However, it was this new bombshell that prompted the strike ballot.
The latest dispute at the Swaythling factory comes just months after motor giant Ford halved its 1,000-strong workforce.
One Penske worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It’s just a joke, we are all getting deeper in debt and the company aren’t interested.”
Another said: “Morale has never been so low and it is getting worse everyday.”
Nobody from Penske was available to comment.
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