17 August, 2015Strike actions are planned in the UK by IndustriALL Global Union affiliate Unite following resistance by domestic appliance manufacturer, Indesit, to go beyond their original offer of a 1.5 per cent pay increase from January 2015.
Unite says: “The delivery of thousands of ‘white goods’, from fridge freezers, washing machines to cookers, will be severely disrupted as more than 200 drivers and warehouse staff at Indesit UK Ltd gear up for four days of strike action in a pay dispute.”
The strikes are planned to start on 6am and will last for 24 hours on 21 August; 48 hours on 27 August; and 24 hours on 1 September.
At the same time, workers will apply work-to-rule action from midnight on 19 August until 6am on 21 August and from midnight on 25 August until 6am on 27 August.
The company’s offer guaranteeing a 45 hour-a-week for redundancy pay and bringing forward the introduction of the London weighting (a special allowance to compensate for the increased cost of living in the capital) for drivers’ assistants to this year, was rejected when presented to the members.
Unite regional officer Mark Plumb said: “It is abundantly clear that this dispute centres on the derisory 1.5 per cent offer which was below inflation at the time of the anniversary date in January.
The pay offer is equal to the one made in 2014, when the inflation rate was two per cent.
“Our members are tired of being fobbed off year-on-year with one-off bonuses, which may never materialise or when they do are worth virtually nothing. Our members are seeking a substantial increase in their basic pay after years of below inflation pay rises,” said Mark Plumb.