UNIONS AT Ford are set to ballot for industrial action after the company announced possible compulsory job losses for the first time in almost 30 years, and repeated demands for hefty pay cuts for workers on short time at three key plants.
Taks broke down last week after bosses backtracked on Ford's long standing voluntary redundancy only Management are seoking 1,400 redundancies, despite union ears that this implies 300 outricht sackings Ford-stil Britain's biggest volume Some 2,100 redundancies were announced only last February.
The company is also seeking to reduce sor pay tom ww per cent of basic to 60 per cent from the new year for employees at Dagenham, Southampton and Halewood, who have been on short time since last AUGust. Malewcoo - on slump ravaged Merseyside - is to commence sinole shifts trom November Ford is also negodating transfer of seat production to Poland, and agree ments on ue rado or encineer ne done in Britain rather than Germany It is understood to be considering contracting out sub-assemblies. Side by side in 1988 - and 19927 janitoring and security. slump. Personnel director John Hougham stated: 'We are prisoners of the economic climate. We believe the market is going to stay totally flat roughoute year do See awe sign of an upturn before 1994.
But Ford bosses have already receired a personal undertaking from Jack Adams. deputy general of the Transport and General Workers Union, that there will be no immediate strike whichever way the vote goes: We certainly won't waik our members into a major proclem Unfortunatety, compulsory redunbons are majce problems, whether Adams realises it or not.
Ford workers are now taond with the same jobs fight as miners, taiway workers and local authority employees.
Activists have to work for a yes vote in the ballot and ensure that union leaders deliver on it