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24 October, 1999Workers at the Dagenham plant in the UK have long complained of racial abuse and bullying.
GREAT BRITAIN: Following a long series of racial and bullying allegations at Ford Motor Company's Dagenham plant, management and unions have agreed a plan of action in an attempt to eliminate these types of incidents. The measures to be taken, including the setting up of an equal opportunities committee at all Ford UK plants, were worked out during crisis talks this weekend attended by Ford's world president Jacques Nasser, after Bill Morris, president of the IMF-affiliated Transport and General Workers' Union, made a direct appeal to him to be present.
Tension at the plant had grown considerably over the last weeks. Union officials complained that the company was not doing enough to tackle the problem, and several walkouts this month by production staff, who also accused the company of not having reacted adequately to confront the allegations, cost millions of pounds of lost production. Recently workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a full-strike ballot if the necessary action was not taken.
The Dagenham plant is Ford's largest in the UK and the only manufacturer there of the Ford Fiesta.
Tension at the plant had grown considerably over the last weeks. Union officials complained that the company was not doing enough to tackle the problem, and several walkouts this month by production staff, who also accused the company of not having reacted adequately to confront the allegations, cost millions of pounds of lost production. Recently workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a full-strike ballot if the necessary action was not taken.
The Dagenham plant is Ford's largest in the UK and the only manufacturer there of the Ford Fiesta.