Workers at Gloucester’s Hurricane Road GE Aviation factory will be striking every Friday until their call for a fair wage is honoured, Unite the union has said today (Tuesday 29 March).

Dirty tricks

Multinational GE Aviation has been accused of `dirty tricks’ in an attempt to undermine the workers.

The 90-plus workers are employed by GE’s subsidiary Dowty Propellers. 

Poor pay offer

The workers have rejected a two year pay offer worth just 4.5 per cent which, with the actual level of inflation (retail price index) standing at 8.2 per cent, amounts to a real terms pay cut.

Workers are concerned that GE’s management has been filming and photographing the workers when they have been undertaking lawful industrial action and peaceful picketing.

In an additional cynical move, described by Unite as `dirty tricks’ designed to intimidate the strikers, GE has changed the sickness policy. Workers now have to provide a certificate for all sickness-related absences on day one, compared to the standard practice of after five days, placing additional pressure on local GP practices already struggling due to the increased workload caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Disgrace

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “GE Aviation’s dirty tricks disgrace the company’s name. They are also counter-productive. Rather than frightening our members back to work, these attacks make them even more determined to secure fair pay.

“GE should put its energies into tabling a serious pay offer. Our members will have Unite’s full and total support until this dispute is resolved.”

Annual leave attack

In addition to the attack on sick pay policies, GE has also banned the workers from taking any annual leave during the dispute, including on Monday – Thursdays when they are not on strike.

Dowty Propellers’ products are used in both civilian and military aircraft as well as marine hovercraft. The strike action, which began on 4 March, has already caused considerable disruption to the production and the delivery of its products.

Delays in orders

Unite regional officer Matt Allen said: “The strike action is already severely affecting the company’s orders and delays will only get worse. This dispute is entirely of GE’s own making – it can afford to make a fair pay offer but has chosen not to do so.”

This round of strike action will continue until Friday 20 May.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

GE Aviation workers in Gloucester to strike over pay

During the coronavirus crisis Unite is working to keep workers and the public safe, to defend jobs and to protect incomes.

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067.

Email: [email protected]

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.