Unite rejects Jaguar attempts to make workers pay for management
failures
24th September 2009
Commenting on the announcement today (Thursday) by Jaguar Land
Rover (JLR) of its new plan for the future of the business, Unite
national secretary for the automotive sector, Dave Osborne said:
"Earlier this year, this company and our union agreed a framework
agreement intended to support JLR through this tough economic
period. Our members said then that JLR could not be trusted
to uphold that agreement. Today this has proven to be
true."
While Unite welcomes moves to 'green' the JLR product range,
Unite is deeply concerned that an agreement struck with the union
barely six months ago will not now be upheld and that the company
is seeking to close the final salary pension scheme.
Dave Osborne continued: "In April our members agreed to changes
to terms and conditions of their employment in order to give the
company financial security, but like Oliver Twist they are coming
back for more. It appears that the company is making our members
pay for their failure to secure government funding.
"We recognise the difficult trading environment for JLR, which
is why Unite and its members have done more to help JLR during this
recession than we have with any other company. But while the
company may say that the business cannot sustain further
liabilities, the truth is by far the biggest liability is the
company's leadership team.
"Some of the problems the company faces today exist as a result
of past management failures. These failures were at the hands
of the same team who today want our members to lose their
pensions. Well, Unite's members will not be paying for
management's incompetence and we will not stand by while those
responsible continue to wreck havoc on this business."
Unite and its colleague unions will be meeting as soon as
possible to consider the Jaguar proposals in more detail.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Pauline Doyle on 07976
832 861
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