Employees of bus manufacturing firm Alexander Dennis commenced strike action today (13 September) following their rejection of a wage offer from the employer.
Coach builders and spray painters, who are members of trade union Unite, are based at Camelon manufacturing site and Larbert corporate headquarters in Scotland. The first round of strike action has been set to end at midnight on 16 September, with a second round starting on 3 October, continuing to 14 October.
Members voted for strike action last month after they rejected an initial 4% pay offer. The business then proposed a 4% offer from April to October, which would increase to 6.6% from October, but this was rejected as Unite said it represented a real terms pay cut in light of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.
The union stated that Alexander Dennis could afford to give its staff a pay rise due to its order book, as last year it won contracts to manufacture 172 green buses through a second round of the Scottish Government’s £40.5 million Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme, as well as benefitting from the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund.
A spokesperson for Alexander Dennis said: “We are disappointed that the unions representing our Camelon factory have not accepted our latest offer and that they will be continuing their plans for industrial action. This action comes despite our sincere and best efforts to reach a fair and reasonable agreement.”
Pat Egan, industrial officer at Unite, added: “Unite has engaged Alexander Dennis in direct talks for months now to find a resolution to this pay dispute. However, despite having a very healthy order book, the business refuses to make our members an offer which their world class work deserves. Our members have been forced by the organisation to take this strike action and they will continue to take action until the employer sees sense.”