Workers at Adient Seating UK Ltd in Ellesmere Port have begun balloting for strike action this week, in a dispute over the axing of shift pay which would see workers eventually losing up to £70 of their income per week.

The workers, who are members of Unite, Britain’s largest union, are being balloted as the company is proposing to end shift pay which is worth 15 per cent of workers’ wages.

Adient Seating supplies seats directly to Vauxhall Motors.

The ballot will open today (Monday 12 March) and closes on Monday 19 March. If members vote in favour of strike action then walkouts could begin soon after Easter.

Unite regional officer Mick Chalmers said: “Workers are very worried about the ability to make ends meet for their families.

“The loss of shift premiums for our members will have a devastating effect on their take home pay. Rapidly rising prices meant workers were already feeling the pinch but the loss of shift pay would mean that they were simply no longer able to make ends meet.

“Unite has constantly said that we hope that this dispute can be resolved by negotiation but we have been forced to begin balloting for strike action and urge Adient Seating to enter into further meaningful negotiations.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For more information please contact Unite communications officer Barckley Sumner on 020 3371 2067 or 07802 329235. Email: [email protected]

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest trade union with over 1.4 million members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey.