Big boost

A campaign for trade union representation at an aerospace company near Macclesfield, Cheshire has resulted in a 3 per cent pay deal and an increase in holiday pay for hundreds of workers at the factory in the North West of England.

Two thirds of workers at the global aerospace company Senior Aerospace BWT recently voted for Unite to represent them at work despite a sustained campaign by management to stop workers from having a union on site.

Workers have been campaigning for Unite to represent them at work since 2016 and were forced to use the law to gain union representation. The company even held one-to-one meetings with workers urging them not to join Unite and management set up a workers’ council in an attempt to undermine the union.

But the company awarded workers with a percentage pay deal and finally accepted the principle that  overtime worked should be used to calculate holiday in an attempt to woo workers away from Unite.

However the pay deal mirrored a deal done by Unite at another Senior Aerospace site and progress on holiday pay was only made because it was an issue raised by Unite members in the workplace. Without Unite there would have been no such progress for workers at the Macclesfield factory.

Senior Aerospace employs approximately 7,000 workers globally and has three sites in the North West of England. The company manufactures products for both commercial and military aircraft and its clients include Bombardier, Rolls Royce and GE.

Phil Allman, Unite regional officer said, “The influence of Unite the union on the Macclesfield factory meant workers secured a good pay deal and got more holiday pay. Union recognition is a big boost for the workforce.

“The campaign for union representation at this hi-tech aerospace company is good news for workers at this Macclesfield company. Unite and BWT have already met in the last few days to discuss working in a more productive way on the collective agreement.

“Inflation is on the rise but bosses across the north west all too often pay workers as little as possible. It makes sense to have a union on your side.”