STORIES FORD/BREXIT
‘World class’ workers
In February Unite general secretary Len McCluskey met shop stewards at Ford’s Bridgend engine plant in Wales to update them on meetings aimed at securing the plant’s future with the boss of Ford Europe, Jim Farley.
He told the reps talks were still ongoing about cast iron assurances over jobs at the Bridgend plant.
Praising the workers as ‘world class,’ Len pledged to work with Ford and other employers to secure the future of manufacturing in Wales.
He also outlined Unite’s determination to work with the Labour-led Welsh government to ensure the Westminster government’s industrial strategy delivers for Wales and the wider UK.
Len said, “Unite will work with Ford and all industrial employers to secure the future of jobs and skills in Wales against the many challenges they face, not least from the government’s apparent determination to take Britain out of the single market.”
Find outmore HERE 8 uniteWORKS Summer 2016
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HEALTH VISITORS Find out more HERE Cuts will harm kids’ health
Health campaigners and families joined Unite members in February to protest over Humber NHS Foundation Trust’s plans to slash health visitors and school nurses by 25 per cent. The protestors urged board members to rethink their plans as they gathered outside the Trust’s headquarters.
Said Unite regional officer Malcolm Hancock, “Because of the trust’s deep cuts support and specialist help for families in greater need will be reduced, alongside support for issues like domestic violence and safeguarding.
“It’s a totally self-defeating move which will harm children’s health and end up costing the trust more in the long run because of a reduction in preventative health measures.”
Under the plans currently being consulted on, the number of full time equivalent health visitors will fall from 51 to just over 38, while school nurses will be cut to just over six full time equivalent roles. The cuts are part of brutal nationwide budget reductions to the NHS and local authority services enacted by the Tory government.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC PAY Find out more HERE First-class pay deal
Pay for thousands of Virgin Atlantic Airlines crew has taken off after constructive negotiations between Unite and Virgin delivered a pay deal worth more than double the current rate of inflation (RPI) for thousands of cabin crew and significantly above inflation for on-board managers.
The pay deal implemented from October 2016 means cabin crew will a get 6.65 per cent increase and flight service managers and cabin service supervisors will get a 4.45 per cent increase. This is then followed by a 3 per cent increase or RPI + 0.5 per cent (whichever is greater) from December 1, 2017. The deal also
includes an average 18 per cent increase across all ranks on flight pay for Virgin crew.
“This is a first class pay deal for a first class crew,” said Unite general secretary Len McCluskey. “With the looming threat of inflation and an uncertain economy following Brexit, this pay deal spanning two and a half years will be a big help to the Virgin crew,” he added.
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