Seventy of the team members who maintain the rolling stock at Alstom’s Derby site are set to start strike action on 27 and 29 October over pay disputes.
Workers were offered just a 4% increase in pay by French-based Alstom. This comes after the company’s latest financial report shows sales of £13.6 billion in 2021/22 and net profits of £233 million.
The industrial action will see workers striking over pay on the two planned days, as well as industrial action comprising of a work to rule and an overtime ban on 19 October over the four per cent pay offer, well below the RPI rate of inflation of 12.3 per cent. Further strikes may also take place if negotiations are not reached.
The action at Alstom’s Etches Park site in Derby will severely disrupt maintenance of East Midlands Rail’s rolling stock, a contract worth £133 million. The site was previously operated by Bombardier, which was bought by Alstom in January 2021.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Alstom is swimming in money. It can easily afford to give it workers a fair slice of the pie and Unite is determined that it will do just that.
“The offer on the table is a real terms pay cut. This is simply unacceptable to Unite.
Our members have Unite’s full support during these strikes.”
Unite regional secretary Paresh Patel said: “Unite will always defend our members’ jobs, pay and conditions. Our members will not accept Alstom’s pay cut dressed up as rise and neither will Unite. The company must return to the negotiating table with a better offer.”
Image Credit: Alstom
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