Prospect of industrial action at Ford

The Ford car manufacturer is facing potential walkouts across its UK sites by both salaried and managerial staff, after over 90% of both groups rejected non-consolidated pay offers for 2024.

Currently, the bargaining groups, represented by the Unite union, are demanding that their employer attends negotiations with the conciliation service Acas or the union will ballot its members for strike action. So far, the company has refused to enter talks.

Ford is offering over 3,000 salaried staff and managers an unconsolidated one-off payment of 5% of their salary (salaried workers), meaning their actual wages will not increase this year; and for managers a performance related bonus payment, which also fails to guarantee their wages will rise alongside the cost of living.

The latter group has recently organised and achieved recognition, and is ready to walk out. The workers, who are based at sites across the country, including Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood, resoundingly rejected the offer from the highly profitable company, and also feel aggrieved at the company’s proposed changes to the current absence processes, despite acknowledging there is no issue with staff attendance.