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Wembley strike ballot results due mid-June
09:44 26 May 2004
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The Amicus and GMB unions have both given notice of a ballot on
industrial action at Wembley Stadium. The ballot involves about 100
steel erectors employed by Cleveland Bridge and the result is
expected by mid-June.
Wembley joins a list of sites facing strike action over pay in the engineering construction sector. Other high profile sites under threat include Heathrow's T5 and Sellafield.
Ballots on industrial action have been called following the operatives' rejection of a proposed two-year national pay deal worth 8%.
The National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (Naeci) was due for renewal from the beginning of April. Employers in the Engineering Construction Indus-try Association (ECIA) continue to insist that the 8% offer "is, and will remain, final". The ECIA has advised its members not to implement the pay offer unilaterally.
The ballots have been delayed as the unions have encountered difficulties in identifying those qualified to vote.
Employer sources said this week that the situation remains confused and "something of a dog's dinner". An already complex strike threat scenario is said to have been further complicated by different lines taken by the three unions that are parties to the national agreement.
Including Wembley, the Amicus union has initiated ballots among its members at five major sites. The GMB is reported to have adopted more of a "scattergun" approach, targeting a large number of sites of various sizes. Employers said they have received no notice of ballots by the TGWU.
It is believed that ballots will now be held by one or more unions at as many as 40 sites. Any industrial action looks unlikely before the middle of June at
the earliest.
The engineering construction sector currently employs a total of about 25,000 operatives on more than 1,000 UK sites.
ECIA managing director Michael Hockey said: "We fully understand why the trade unions need to ballot their members. We hope that they will now take the opportunity provided by the ballot to reconsider their position."
Wembley joins a list of sites facing strike action over pay in the engineering construction sector. Other high profile sites under threat include Heathrow's T5 and Sellafield.
Ballots on industrial action have been called following the operatives' rejection of a proposed two-year national pay deal worth 8%.
The National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (Naeci) was due for renewal from the beginning of April. Employers in the Engineering Construction Indus-try Association (ECIA) continue to insist that the 8% offer "is, and will remain, final". The ECIA has advised its members not to implement the pay offer unilaterally.
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The ballots have been delayed as the unions have encountered difficulties in identifying those qualified to vote.
Employer sources said this week that the situation remains confused and "something of a dog's dinner". An already complex strike threat scenario is said to have been further complicated by different lines taken by the three unions that are parties to the national agreement.
Including Wembley, the Amicus union has initiated ballots among its members at five major sites. The GMB is reported to have adopted more of a "scattergun" approach, targeting a large number of sites of various sizes. Employers said they have received no notice of ballots by the TGWU.
It is believed that ballots will now be held by one or more unions at as many as 40 sites. Any industrial action looks unlikely before the middle of June at
the earliest.
The engineering construction sector currently employs a total of about 25,000 operatives on more than 1,000 UK sites.
ECIA managing director Michael Hockey said: "We fully understand why the trade unions need to ballot their members. We hope that they will now take the opportunity provided by the ballot to reconsider their position."
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