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Steelworkers accept jobs plan
Steelworkers voted in February to accept Tata Steel UK’s investment plan which includes £1bn in investment from the firm and a pledge to keep its two-blast furnace operation at Port Talbot steelworks for the next five years. No compulsory redundancies will be made in that time – in effect keeping 8,000 jobs.
But the rescue plan means members having to accept changes to their pensions, including closing the final salary pension scheme to future accrual and replacing it with a defined contribution scheme.
“Steelworkers have made great sacrifices to ensure the UK’s world class steel industry has a future,” said Unite national officer Tony Brady. “Those sacrifices must be repaid by Tata Steel honouring its commitments on investment and job security.
“The UK government in Westminster must also repay the sacrifices and the commitment shown by steelworkers to their industry by stepping up to support steel and secure its future.”
BA flights grounded
Unite called on British Airways in February to reach an agreement to avoid further strikes in a continuing dispute over poverty pay involving the airline’s mixed fleet cabin crew.
There has already been 19 days of strike action taken in January and February, which led to the cancellation of flights and BA chartering, or ‘wet leasing’, aircraft from other airlines.
“British Airways should focus on addressing poverty pay in its mixed fleet, rather than continuing to waste hundreds of thousands of pounds on chartering in aircraft to cover striking workers,” said Unite national officer Oliver Richardson.
“Despite the bully boy tactics, the threats and the sanctions, our members in British Airways mixed fleet have continued to show great resolve in their fight for better pay,” he added. “Mixed fleet cabin crew are the future of British Airways and deserve better.”
Since 2010 all British Airways new cabin crew employees join what is called ‘mixed fleet’, where despite promises that pay would be 10 per cent above the market rate, basic pay starts at just £12,192 with £3 an hour flying pay. Unite estimates that on average ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew earn £16,000, including allowances, a year.
IT Find out more HERE Fujitsu pay row settled
An offer aimed at settling the long-running dispute on pay, pensions and job security at Fujitsu in Manchester was agreed by Unite’s 300 members in February.
The dispute centred around pay, pensions and job security. Unite believed Fujitsu had been cutting pay rates for years, despite healthy profits and large increases in senior management pay. Further concerns included the failing of the firm to address a significant gender pay gap and refusing to become a ‘living wage’ accredited employer.
Steelworkers’ sacrifices – Tata’s Port Talbot
“Following talks, Unite put an offer to settle this long-running dispute to our members. The offer was accepted,” reported Unite regional officer Sharon Hutchinson. Sharon added that the deal included better pay for lower paid staff.
10 uniteWORKS Spring 2017 Find out more HERE
Mark Thomas
Mark Thomas
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