The threat of severe disruption to production at the BMW MINI plant in Oxford has ended, after lorry drivers employed by Imperial Logistics to deliver components to the factory secured a bumper pay rise, resulting in planned strike action being called off.

Strike vote

The workers had overwhelmingly voted for strike action as a result of being paid more than £3 an hour less than agency workers recruited by the company to work on the same contract.

Following negotiations, however, the workers have accepted an improved pay offer worth 27 per cent over two years, while they have also secured pay parity on the contract, the continuation of unsocial hours’ payments, and a lump sum payment of £3,500 in lieu of back pay.

Exceptional result

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an exceptional result. It is an excellent example of how Unite now intends to focus all its energy and power on fighting for the jobs, pay and conditions of our members. That is the future. When I became general secretary I established a special unit within the union to deal with disputes. It is early days of course but that is already beginning to bear fruit."

As a result of members agreeing to the offer the planned strike action scheduled to begin on Tuesday 9 November has been cancelled and the dispute has ended.

Not tolerate injustice

Unite regional officer Scott Kemp said: “Unite made clear from the outset that our members were not going to tolerate the injustice of being paid less than agency workers.

 “Once the management at Imperial Logistics understood how determined our members were to resolve this matter an agreement was reached and strike action averted.”

ENDS

During the coronavirus crisis Unite is working to keep workers and the public safe, to defend jobs and to protect incomes.

For more information please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 020 3371 2067 or 07802 329235.

Email: barckley.sumner@unitetheunion.org

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.

 

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