{"id":12136,"date":"2017-04-19T17:07:03","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T16:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=12136"},"modified":"2017-04-20T13:53:51","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T12:53:51","slug":"fighting-for-respect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=12136","title":{"rendered":"Fighting for respect"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For hundreds of workers at the BMW Mini plant in Cowley, just outside of Oxford, today (April 19) was their first ever day of strike action after working loyally for the same company for decades.<\/p>\n

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But the automaker, whose Mini is among its iconic brands, has for the workforce gone a step too far as it seeks to rob them of their pensions.<\/p>\n

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\"bmw<\/p>\n

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BMW has said that it will be closing its final salary pension scheme on May 31 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c without having had any meaningful talks with the workforce.<\/p>\n

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The proposals will mean that some workers could lose up to \u00c2\u0141160,000 of their retirement income, explains Unite BMW plant convenor Norman Gough (pictured below).<\/p>\n

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\"bmw<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re many people here who have worked here many, many years and have contributed to the pensions scheme throughout,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he told UNITElive. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re looking forward to a reasonable retirement \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not a retirement where they flash loads of money about \u00e2\u20ac\u201c just a reasonable one that enables them to pay the bills. But the company is taking that away from them.”<\/p>\n

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Poverty has become a very real prospect for these workers, Norman says.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe know that if the Conservatives win this next election, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll likely take away the triple lock on state pensions as we go forward \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this is what we’re up against.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Unite deputy plant convenor Steve Sargent, 60, is among those who may be robbed of tens of thousands of pounds from his pensions when he retires in five years. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been paying into the pension since 2001, when he first started working for BMW helping make the Mini.<\/p>\n

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But there’s way more at stake then just any one individual’s pension pot, Steve (pictured below) notes.<\/p>\n

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\"bmw<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI worry about how the company is unequivocally refusing to listen to the trade union on such an important topic as pensions,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he explained. \u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t win this fight, then they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll come back and attack our pay, terms and conditions \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this is only the beginning.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Norman agrees and hits back at BMW\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contention that the pension scheme is unaffordable.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey made record profits in 2016 of \u00e2\u201a\u00ac6.9bn,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve increased the shareholders dividends by 8 per cent.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a sad day but we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had to do it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c at the end of the day no one actually wants to go on strike,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been driven to this by BMW. They won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t listen to us; they won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t negotiate properly. All they talk about is what they want. They flatly refuse to listen to us.”<\/p>\n

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Norman begged the company to see sense \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to at the very least have meaningful discussions where their voices are heard \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but warned that the resolve of the workforce is as strong as ever.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have five actions coming up and we are prepared to ramp up action beyond that too.”<\/p>\n

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Ultimately, Norman says the dispute is about fairness and about respect.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThese workers build one of the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most iconic and profitable products \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the success of the company depends on them,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

\"bmw<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTheir work is top quality and they have been through the years incredibly flexible,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Norman said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey deserve what they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been paying into their whole working lives. It shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be suddenly stripped away from them especially as many are just now coming up for retirement.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Steven today had to fill the role of \u00e2\u20ac\u0098picket supervisor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 — a new requirement imposed by provisions in the Tory government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Trade Union Act, which came into force last month.<\/p>\n

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This is one of the first strikes after the new provisions \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which were designed to restrict trade union activity \u00e2\u20ac\u201c have come into effect.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe had to go to the police station, hunt the police down, give our details to the police,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Steve explained. \u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe had to have training for all those who were leading pickets so that they understand the law.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re now required to be very polite, to not upset anyone. Of course, no one wants to go back to the days of sometimes violent pickets, but the law is a step too far,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really put\u00c2\u00a0 some absurd constraints on us that simply aren’t necessary.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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\"bmw<\/p>\n

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Still, it seemed nothing could dampen the good-humoured but steely resolve of the hundreds of workers out on strike today in Cowley, joined by their colleagues at other BMW sites in Swindon and Hams Hall.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bA lot of people here never dreamt they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d ever be on strike with a company which makes such huge profits and typically gives very fair pay deals,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Steve said.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bGoing from that situation to one where the company isn’t talking to the trade union at all is shocking for many. But that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the very first strike for many of the workers here \u00e2\u20ac\u201c there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an element of excitement, of wonderment and camaraderie.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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\"BMW<\/p>\n

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Unite member and BMW worker Daniel Toro (pictured above) is among those striking for the first time, and the camaraderie Steve describes is for him palpable.<\/p>\n

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Daniel is not on the pension scheme now threatened with closure, but he believes deeply in the solidarity that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s brought out hundreds of workers to the picket lines in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strike.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m here to support my brothers and sisters,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

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