Interesting day at work today.

[nilagin]

This morning we learnt that we won't be getting our pay rise. It should have all been signed for last November. The company (Ford) made us a suprisingly good offer, but our unions decided to ask for a further meeting with the management to see if they could get guarantees for job security (Can't think of any firms other than Undertakers currently in a position to make such promises). To cut a long story short, the assurances couldn't be made, we finally had our ballots on whether to accept the pay offer a couple of weeks ago and this yesterday they met with management to sign the accepted offer. Now the company have said they can't afford to honour the offer and have stated they wish to make a freeze on wage rises until things improve.
This has caused lots of arguments at work, The Unions seem to think the company can't do this, Hello we're in a recession and the company is making losses. The Union are talking of industrial action, possibly strikes, Hello we're in a recession, people are frightened to spend money let alone lose it. I have workmates who seem to think the company are playing games with us and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. Hello, recession, redundancies layoffs, wake up smell the coffee.
If you've seen the news today you may have seen Ford have announced Redundancies, mainly 500 workers in Southampton and the rest is 350 staff around various plants etc. in the UK. All redundancies we knew were coming and are on voluntary basis at the moment. There may be some takers highly unlikely in the numbers Ford require by May, but who knows and I'm not sure what the company will do if they don't get enough takers. In the 30 yrs I've worked at Ford, I've never known them to force redundancies, but under the current circumstancies this could be a first and who could blame them. On the whole up until now the credit crunch/recession as not really affected us, other than the loss of overtime since April last year.
Even a workmate who is quite militant and rejected the wage offer, he has never voted to accept one yet, can see there is no sense in fighting this. We are of the opinion we just ride it out and pray we come out of it on the other side relatively unscathed. True we aren't under consideration for redundancies at the moment but we're not daft enough not to think it could be just around the corner, even the company has no control of how things will pan out but we can see they are doing their best to remain in business, I want to be there when they hopefully come out on the other side, but it seems some of my workmates are too short sighted to see this and are very resentful towards the company for retracting the pay offer.
I dare say there will be a few more arguments tomorrow, I'll try not to bore you all any further. Just had to get that off my chest.
And breathe................................................

 

[KayJay]

Usually if the number of voluntary redundancies isn't enough they'll move toward compulsory redundancies based on requirements, service and value to the company. Perhaps a points system.

 

[nilagin]

Usually if the number of voluntary redundancies isn't enough they'll move toward compulsory redundancies based on requirements, service and value to the company. Perhaps a points system.

That would be the norm I expect, but in these days of diversity and equal oppertunities, which Ford and the Union claim to follow, I can't see that being possible if they wish to follow that route. Our foreman told us that in The Engine Plant here at Dagenham, Staff are having to reapply for their jobs, if they don't get the job, I suppose they will be made redundant, at least that way the company gets the people they require to continue business and can get rid of the dead wood. I don't suppose anyone will be entirely happy with what ever selection process is taken. I'll certainly have the hump if I have to take redundancy whilst some dead a$*e keeps his job, when if the likes of him had been pulling their weight the company would have probably been in a slightly stronger position and redundancies not so likely.

 

[KayJay]

Yeah. The process in my post that's what I had to go through 3 years ago. But as you say things are different now. Either way mate I wish you all the best of luck. Keep in there.