4% and holiday changes at Air Products

The manufacturing bargaining group at Air Products' Acrefair plant (near Wrexham) received a 4% rise with effect from 1 February, accompanied by a change to enforced holiday shutdowns.

A shutdown is defined as a full factory closure consisting of four days, typically linked to a bank holiday to achieve a full week's closure. Shut downs are announced with an eight week notice period. The ability to have a site shutdown across the Christmas period, incurring an additional three days, was agreed. In emergencies, with the agreement of the shop stewards committee, a small team of volunteers would be allowed to work during a shutdown (without this calling into question the overall shutdown). The pay structure includes additional hourly amounts for training authority-approved craft instructors (53.34 pence per hour) and workplace trainers (27.24 pence), with a productivity bonus and a night shift allowance of 29.5% of the 37.5 hour basic wage.

New rates at Air Products

£ per week inclusive of consolidated bonus

craft 362.10

drillers 350.62

semi-skilled A 304.55

semi-skilled B 289.84