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8 March, 2000Professional staff union members have come out victorious in their confrontation with management.
GREAT BRITAIN: After just one of the four planned walkouts by the professional staff at Ford -- a one-hour strike on February 21, unions announced at the end of last week that an agreement had been reached with the company over pensions and pay, and accepted by a margin of 3 to 1 by union members.
Although Ford management had demanded a merger of the salaried workers' pension fund with that of the hourly-paid workers, the settlement removes this threat from the agreement. In addition to the pension fund question, an 11 per cent pay hike over the three years of the contract has been agreed, as well as a company commitment for a job evaluation programme regarding the increased personal responsibility and skill requirements for professional staff jobs.
In joint press statements released following the vote in favour of accepting the deal, the national secretary of the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union, who is chief negotiator at Ford, Terry Pye, and the Transport & General Workers' Union national secretary, Bob Purkiss, said: "Our professional members at Ford took a stand which was frankly against their nature. They were prepared to make personal sacrifices to save the Pension Fund and they have been rewarded with a pay deal with no strings attached. All the staff that took part in the dispute can be proud of their pensions victory."
Ford's professional staff include engineers, information technology and clerical workers.
Although Ford management had demanded a merger of the salaried workers' pension fund with that of the hourly-paid workers, the settlement removes this threat from the agreement. In addition to the pension fund question, an 11 per cent pay hike over the three years of the contract has been agreed, as well as a company commitment for a job evaluation programme regarding the increased personal responsibility and skill requirements for professional staff jobs.
In joint press statements released following the vote in favour of accepting the deal, the national secretary of the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union, who is chief negotiator at Ford, Terry Pye, and the Transport & General Workers' Union national secretary, Bob Purkiss, said: "Our professional members at Ford took a stand which was frankly against their nature. They were prepared to make personal sacrifices to save the Pension Fund and they have been rewarded with a pay deal with no strings attached. All the staff that took part in the dispute can be proud of their pensions victory."
Ford's professional staff include engineers, information technology and clerical workers.