Hundreds of Dagenham Ford workers to strike on five more days in bitter row over 'appalling' pay and contracts

Angry workers at Ford have gone on strike at an Essex base in a bitter row over their pay and contracts - and have vowed to step up their industrial action if talks aren't resolved. Unite the union claims Ford has failed to offer its workers in Dagenham a permanent pay increase.

Unite states the company has offered many of its office workers a one-off payment for 2024 and wants to impose 100 per cent performance related pay from 2025 for all staff. Hundreds of workers from Dagenham and Speke Ford centres went on strike on October 30 and more days are planned.

Ford has insisted its offer to workers is "fair and balanced" and stated it will continue to engage with Unite. The union claims Ford is attempting to change the long-standing sick pay policy and also wants to change the collective bargaining agreement with Unite.

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General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Ford has launched a direct assault on its office workers’ pay and conditions for no other reason than corporate greed. It is an appalling way to behave by a company that is already massively wealthy. Unite never accepts attacks on our members’ jobs, pay or conditions and Ford’s workforce have their union’s total backing."

More strikes at the Ford’s Dagenham engine plant will take place on 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 November, with Unite saying the industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. Ford managers represented by Unite are also in dispute with the company over pay. They have been taking action short of strike action over Ford’s pay offer of only a performance related merit award, which the union says they are not guaranteed to receive.

Unite national officer Alison Spencer-Scragg said: “Our members will not back down and are increasingly angry about Ford’s attacks on their pay and conditions. This dispute and the disruption it is causing to Ford’s operations will continue to worsen until the company puts forwards acceptable offers to both its admin staff and managers.”

A spokesman for Ford said: "Considering the overall competitiveness of our General Salary Roll employee pay and benefits package, and the series of strong annual increases amounting to 20 per cent over the past two years, the company's final offer of a five per cent total pay increase for 2023/24 is fair and balanced. We will continue to engage with Unite and our valued employees and endeavour to resolve the matter.”