Workers at Clydebank Engineering and Fabrication (CBEF) are being consulted this week over whether to move to a full industrial action ballot against their employer’s refusal to improve a pay offer for 2021 of just 50 pence an hour.
Union representatives previously submitted a claim for a £1.50 an hour increase as a starting point for closing a local pay gap against comparable hourly rates for similar trades across Glasgow.
Trades people like welders and platers in CBEF are currently on day-shift rates of £10.03 an hour, lagging nearly £7.00 an hour behind the average base salary for a welder of £16.97 an hour.
A consultative ballot will now run in the employer, a manufacturer of steel structures and supply chain provider of prefabricated panels to bus-builder Alexander Dennis, until 25 June.
GMB Scotland organiser Gary Cook said: "Should our members return support for moving to a full industrial action ballot against the employer’s pay offer, then we will begin plans for that statutory process and that could mean supply-chain disruption for firms like Alexander Dennis later this summer.
"If we want to build a fairer recovery then we need to start giving people proper value for the work they do – the likes of CBEF would do well to listen their workers’ voice and become part of the solution, and not the problem."
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