A strike at a Halewood dashboard manufacturer could bring production at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to a halt, according to trade union Unite.
Over 160 members of Unite employed at International Automotive Components (IAC) in Halewood are being balloted for strike action over a pay offer described as “feeble.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “A change in management at International Automotive Components has resulted in an anti-union stance and attempts to play hard ball during pay negotiations to undermine collective bargaining at the site.
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“Almost all of International Automotive Components’ Halewood workforce are Unite members and their jobs, pay and conditions are this union’s top priority.
“If our members decide to strike over this feeble pay offer it would bring not just the factory to a halt but JLR production as well.”
The ballot for strike action opens today (February 3) and closes on February 24.
Unite states that strike action would cause disruption further up the JLR production process because of the automotive manufacturers’ just-in-time supply chain.
The vote was called after the workers rejected a two year pay deal - two per cent during the first year and three per cent in the second - below the current retail price index (RPI) of 7.5 per cent.
Unite regional officer Mike Gaskell said: “Due to short time working at the site workers have swallowed reductions in their weekly pay of between 25% and 35%.
“Now International Automotive Components have turned round and offered a pathetic pay deal that doesn’t even come close to the rising cost of living.
“The anger amongst our members at this and the company’s hostile and dismissive attitude to collective bargaining means we have no choice but to ballot for strike action which would cause great disruption to both International Automotive Components and JLR.”
Jaguar Land Rover and International Automotive Components both declined to comment when approached by the ECHO.
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