Ford workers ‘one step closer to strike action’
Union calls on bosses to end jobs uncertainty:
FORD workers will move a step closer to strike action unless the company ends the agony of job uncertainty.
That’s the message from the leader of the UK’s biggest union Unite ahead of three mass meetings at the Bridgend Engine Plant (BEP) on St David’s Day.
Unite’s general secretary Len McCluskey said failure to provide commitments on new investment will see the workforce at Wales’ third largest employer move one step closer to strike action in defence of their jobs.
He will be joined by Unite’s Welsh secretary Andy Richards as he addresses all three shifts.
And in a message to Ford’s UK management, he said the car maker’s repeated failure to demonstrate that it has the long-term product strategy needed to sustain the plant has left the workforce increasingly fearful for their jobs.
Earlier this month Mr McCluskey gave the Detroit-based car maker until St David’s Day to offer concrete reassurances on the BEP’s future.
Ford chiefs have so far failed to reveal what will happen with an estimated 1,300 surplus jobs when, in 2020, production of two engines – the Ford Sigma and Jaguar Land Rover – will end. Last autumn Ford also cut its investment in a new type of engine called Dragon, which will be produced in Bridgend from 2018.
As that requires a workforce commitment of around 550 people, staff are becoming increasingly anxious over what will become of the other 1,300 jobs at the site.
At the start of February a Ford spokeswoman said: “We continue to work with our union partners on an on-going basis. No timeline has been agreed.”
Mr McCluskey is set to demand an end to the uncertainty and call for Ford to work alongside Unite and the Welsh Government to ensure a sustainable future for the world class plant, which has for decades been central to its global engine strategy.
The Bridgend plant is one of Ford’s last two engine manufacturing facilities in the UK.
Speaking ahead of the meetings, he called upon Ford to end the agony of its Welsh workforce and commit at last to the Bridgend Engine Plant. He said: “Unite members are com- mitted to Ford, the Welsh Assembly is committed to Ford, all we need now is for Ford to commit to its workforce. That means investment, new product lines and a clear plan for the plant’s future.
“This is no more than Ford is giving its other engine plants. The uncertainty that has plagued the plant following the announcement to halve the Dragon engine programme in September must end and end now.
“For the past 35 years, the Ford engine plant has been at the heart of the Welsh economy – it is one of the jewels in the crown of the Welsh economy.
“With some of the most skilled workers anywhere in the UK there is no reason why this plant should not continue to play a key role in Ford’s future global plans.
“This site has thrived for decades. With a collective will it can thrive for another 35 years and more, continuing to provide employment and security for workers, families and communities across South Wales. That is the message I am bringing to Bridgend. These workers are world class, their product is world class – and Unite is determined to win a bright future for both.”