Industry News
Strike threat could impact on Nissan production, warns Amicus
11th January 2006
Workers at Unipres (UK) Ltd in Washington Tyneside, which supplies body parts to Nissan and Honda, are being balloted for industrial action over plans to introduce Saturday working. Unipres announced last summer that they intended to introduce banked working hours, which will mean closing the plant on seven Fridays to bring the company in line with Nissan's working patterns.
This will require Unipres workers to 'pay back' the time by working a minimum of six Saturday shifts over a twelve-month period.
Amicus members ballot for industrial action was prompted by an internal ballot of the 700 strong workforce on the company’s planned changes, which was overwhelmingly rejected by 90.75%.
Amicus say the result of the ballot for industrial action will be known on 18 January. Unipres supply body parts to Nissan and Honda who operate a "just in time" process so any industrial action at Unipres could have an impact on Nissan car production.
Amicus' Regional Officer, Carol McFarlane, said: "Unipres have treated their workers with absolute contempt. They are railroading sweeping working pattern changes through without any attempt to take their employees with them and without any consideration of the impact to their loyal and hardworking staff.”
Amicus trade union says that the company has refused to enter into meaningful negotiations with Amicus over the planned changes and has declined the union's request for the involvement of ACAS. Unipres has reportedly argued that flexibility clauses written into workers’ terms and conditions of employment allows them to implement the changes without consultation.
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