Around 400 Unite members employed by Alexander Dennis at its Falkirk factory began a two-week strike on Monday 15 January as part of an ongoing pay dispute, says trade union Unite, which represents coach builders and spray painters at the manufacturer’s Camelon factory. The strike action is expected to continue until 29 January. Unite represents coach builders and spray painters at the Camelon factory. The union’s members previously took two weeks of strike action between 4 and 17 December 2023.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite members at Alexander Dennis are being forced to strike again in their fight for fair pay. Our members remain utterly determined to get a fair offer from the company. We will back our members all the way in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”
The Union reports that in December Alexander Dennis offered an additional 0.5% on its original 4% wage offer, and a further 4% for 2024, which it says was ‘emphatically rejected’ by staff.
Unite Iindustrial Officer Pat Egan said: “The two-week long strike action will be the first in a series of lengthy stoppages to hit the Camelon factory. Our members are not asking for the earth but simply an offer worthy of their hard work and loyalty. Alexander Dennis has instead made penny pinching offers which amount to a real terms pay cut. This is unacceptable and our members will continue to fight until they get what they deserve.”
Unite members at London bus operator Abellio were also set to strike after rejecting what the union said was a poor pay offer, the union said. Around 40 staff who work in the control rooms for Abellio planned to take six days of action beginning on Friday 19 January.
Unite said the staff had been offered a 5% pay increase for 2023, which it called ‘a substantial real terms pay cut.’ The union said that the control room staff earn ‘approximately £10,000 per year less than similar staff at other bus companies.’
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abellio’s poor pay offer will bring chaos to London as our members take strike action to fight for better pay. Abellio has hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue from lucrative London bus contracts and yet it is trying to short-change some of its most vital staff. It needs to understand our members won’t stand for it.”
Controllers, managers and supervisors based at Battersea and Twickenham bus garages are expected to strike on 19 and 26 January and 2, 9, 16 and 23 February. Unite regional officer Maxine Loza said: “These workers provide an absolutely vital service to bus drivers and passengers. Yet Abellio is treating them with disdain with this pay offer.
“Abellio needs to come back to the table with an improved offer to avoid ruining the journeys of millions of Londoners. Abellio is to blame for this strike and they need to fix it.”
