CITY LINK WORKERS VOTE FOR STRIKE ACTION OVER PAY & CONDITON

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Transport union RMT announced today that hundreds of staff working for City Link have voted by more than nine to one for strike action in a dispute over pay, working conditions and an attempt by the company management to bulldoze through changes to contracts.

City Link was flogged off earlier this year to private equity group Better Capital for a pound by Rentokil Initial and that sell off to Jon Moulton’s aggressive, anti-worker outfit has coincided with an all-out assault on terms and conditions.

In separate ballots of both driver and non-driver staff , which concluded today , majorities in favour of strike action of more than nine to one have been recorded. The results will now be considered by RMT’s executive as the union plans the next stage in the campaign to defend pay and working conditions.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“The assault on pay and conditions by the new, private equity owners of City Link has sparked a surge in recruitment and hundreds of workers are now actively engaged in the fight back at City Link depots across the country.

“This massive majority in favour of strike action shows that the workforce at City Link will not stand by and take this bullying attempt to force new contracts down their throats by the asset-strippers from Better Capital.

“The campaign at City Link is a national fight against a national, high-profile company and represents an important battle for the whole trade union movement against private equity companies who think they can treat their workers like dirt. RMT will now consider the next move and as always we remain available for talks.”

ENDS

[Pinky 1]

A sign of things to come for us maybe ?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

UK carrier City Link facing strike threat in run-up to Christmas

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Ahead of another bumper Christmas season, “hundreds” of workers at UK parcel carrier City Link have voted to go on strike, in protest at pay and working conditions.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said this week that members at the Coventry-based company had voted by nine to one to undertake industrial action.

City Link said it was “disappointed” by the vote, but claimed that only 248 of its 2,500 staff voted in the ballot.

No actual strike date has yet been announced, with the RMT stating that it is “open to talks”.

But, the union discontent at City Link comes as the CWU and Unite unions are also threatening industrial action at Royal Mail, in protest over pay and conditions as well as forthcoming postal privatisation, which could also have major impacts on the parcel sector in the run-up to Christmas.

“All-Out assault”

City Link, which was sold by Rentokil Initial in April to private equity firm Better Capital for a token £1, has been accused by the union of “bulldozing” changes to staff contracts.

The RMT claimed the sale of the company coincided with an “all-out assault on terms and conditions” as loss-making City Link has sought to improve its profitability.

The union held separate ballots for drivers and non-drivers, with large majorities voting in favour of strike action. Its executive will now consider the results of the ballots as it plans the next stage of its campaign.


City Link said the union ballot involved 157 drivers and 91 warehouse workers
Bob Crow, the RMT general secretary, said “hundreds” of workers were now actively engaged in the “fight back” at City Link depots across the country.

“This massive majority in favour of strike action shows that the workforce at City Link will not stand by and take this bullying attempt to force new contracts down their throats by the asset-strippers from Better Capital,” Crow said.

“The campaign at City Link is a national fight against a national, high-profile company and represents an important battle for the whole trade union movement against private equity companies who think they can treat their workers like dirt. RMT will now consider the next move and as always we remain available for talks.”

City Link

City Link has suffered five years of losses in the wake of its acquisition of rival carrier Target Express in 2007. Under new leadership since 2011, cost-cutting efforts and a drive for new business has seen improvements in its financial results, with the target of breaking even this year.

New owners Better Capital announced plans to invest £40m into the business in order to push for growth and profitability.

The company currently delivers about 76m parcels a year through a network of 60 depots and 2,500 vehicles. Last year City Link made a £26.4m loss on a revenue of £321.7m.

City Link confirmed that it has received notification of the results of the ballot from the RMT. The company suggested that the union’s vote represented only a “small minority” of it employees – stating that 12% were members, and that “less than half of these appear to have actually supported the union’s ballot”.

The firm said 157 drivers and 91 warehouse colleagues backed strike action in the ballot, adding that it was “yet to be convinced” the ballot process was conducted correctly.

Nevertheless, City Link insisted it was putting in place “robust” contingency plans to ensure there is no adverse effect on service if the RMT does call a strike.

“Fairer”

Scott Maynard, the City Link human resources director, said his company had been consulting with front line staff since June to make pay and conditions “fairer and more equitable”.

“At the moment we are in the position where colleagues doing the same job in the same depot are getting paid different wages. This is a legacy that the current management team has inherited and is one we believe is fundamentally unfair,” said Maynard. “The proposals we have put forward will resolve this while ensuring that the vast majority of colleagues see no reduction in their pay packet or actually get an increase.”