Ford Willing and Available to Continue DB Closure Talks

15 June 2012 (PLANSPONSOREurope.com) - Motor giant Ford says it is “willing and available” to continue talks with unions over the proposed closure of its UK defined benefit (DB) scheme to new members.

The Unite union has announced Ford staff will take 24-hour strike action from 6.00am on Monday (18 June) until 6.00am on Tuesday (19 June) over plans to close the company’s final salary pension scheme to new hires.

The union says staff voted by 67% on a 100% turnout for strike action on 22 May, but the union agreed to postpone announcing the ballot result to the public to allow further negotiations with the company to take place. However, after a series of meetings, the union now says it is “obvious that the company is not prepared to make any genuine attempts to resolve this dispute”.

But Ford has hit back. In a statement, the company said: “The issue giving rise to the industrial action relates to a disagreement between the company and a particular group of its employees in relation to their ongoing pay and benefit negotiations. 

“Ford remains willing and available to continue discussions with the union representing these workers. The vast majority of the company's employees are not involved in this disagreement, or the decision to take industrial action.”

PLANSPONSOREurope Staff
editors@plansponsoreurope.com