Bristol Rolls-Royce workers balloted over strike
Around 30 staff at Patchway engine giant Rolls-Royce are being balloted for strike action over plans to make them redundant within the next year.
The staff, who work in warehouses at the Patchway site, have been told their jobs will transfer to CEVA, a Leicestershire-based logistics company, on July 1 – but only for 10 months, after which their jobs will be made redundant.
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Rolls Royce, Patchway.
Union Amicus says if the move goes ahead, the workers will be forced to leave the Rolls-Royce pension scheme, which will be financially damaging to them.
Union convenor Ray Bazeley said: "The 31 warehouse staff in question distribute engine parts across Europe and America, some of them have worked for Rolls for more than 40 years and will take a big hit on their pensions if they transfer to a new employer.
"They are effectively moving in to a new pension scheme for just 10 months.
"We've been trying to negotiate with management so that the staff remain Rolls employees for the remaining 10 months and the size of their pensions won't be affected, as they have left Rolls and not a third party.
"We will issue the affected workers with ballot papers, and a decision on a strike could be made at the end of next week.
"A strike could then be held within three weeks.
"As chief negotiator, I've tried to reason with the firm on this but to no avail."
A spokesman for the Rolls-Royce, which has 3,500 staff in Patchway, said: "We are continuing the consultation process with trade union representatives regarding our aftermarket warehouse activities."
In April, the Post revealed the £40-million sale of Rolls' East Works site to developer Prologis had collapsed due to the credit crunch.
The site will now be flattened and be re-offered for sale early next year.
11 Comments
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by anon, bristol
Saturday, June 06 2009, 3:18PM
“they wont be moving our department i can tell you that for a fact Mark from Bristol”
by lol, rolls/royce
Saturday, June 06 2009, 3:16PM
“then we all go to derby lol”
by mark, bristol
Friday, June 05 2009, 7:15PM
“Dont worry mate you will be next in line to be taken over by CEVA.
No RR pension,No RR redundancy payouts and NO future at RR as more and more
moves to derby.
Make a stand now or you WILL be next out the door.”
by worker, bristol patchway
Friday, June 05 2009, 4:25PM
“No way will they get an surport from anymore of rolls/royce workers dont they know about the state of our country and what it would mean for the future”
by warehouse, bristol
Friday, June 05 2009, 10:26AM
“Nice to know we dont have the backing from a so called worker at RR bristol.
I would like to know which dept this person works for,probley somewhere who did not show any support when i lost my job in 4 shop.
what this idiot needs to know is when we lose are jobs early 2010 we as it stands will only get the the goverment min payout,because we will be workink for CEVA not RR .
I can only hope the same fate happens to the people who are not willing to support there fellow workers.
With people like this the management dont need to any dirty work idiots like this are doing it for them.”
by 10cent, Dartmouth. Nova Scotia, Canada
Thursday, June 04 2009, 11:23PM
“Only 3,500 employees left at Patchway? Whatever happened to the place? When I worked there in the 60's & 70's (#4 shop) there were upwards of 10,000! We made engines then, what do they do there now?”
by worker at rolls/royce, bristol
Thursday, June 04 2009, 10:27PM
“What have any of these men done for me or my mates i would like to know we aint backing them no way”
by Mrs Very Upset, bristol
Thursday, June 04 2009, 3:24PM
“I don¿t know what jenny is going on about, what has her comments got to do with the way the 31 men at risk has to do with apprentice schemes, yes Rolls Royce as a company are not playing ball what so ever with these men and their lives they don¿t care, (like the saying go¿s I am alright jack I am on the life boat forget about the rest) they cant possibly understand the stress and strain they are putting on this men and their families (yes hello the families are also involved believe it or not), why should these worker lose out after the service they have given to Rolls Royce, it would have been good if the decision makers were to have come down out of their ivory towers and stepped into the shoes of the workers involved and see what they are going though now and what they have gone though for the last year and more and see how this has affected them, and yes theses workers still give their all to the company, and yet to date still no decision has been made, only that they will go over to Ceva on the 01/07/2009 no other information has been supplied regarding this move. Now we have to think about the strike action and what this could mean to us all and I do mean us all. So come on Rolls Royce and the Unions get your acts together show these workers some of that loyalty that they have shown you over the years and do the right thing by them
Mrs Very Upset”
by Jenny, Bristol
Thursday, June 04 2009, 9:42AM
“I am not talking rubbish. Not necessarily in your department but other departments within the company.”
by angry worker, bristol
Thursday, June 04 2009, 9:22AM
“What are you chatting about you talk a load of rubbish no body has been bulled or had pressure put on them to do the shfts if you chat to the men they are very happy with them its more money and lots of time off i should know i work there with them”