GKN defiant on UK plant closure despite massive strike vote

GKN Automotive is insisting it will shutter its manufacturing unit in the British Midlands city of Birmingham in 2022, irrespective of a vote in favour of strike action by the mind-boggling bulk of labour physique, Unite, members at the plant.

Unite put the strike movement to its members at the undertaking capitalist, Melrose-owned manufacturing unit, which employs five hundred persons and makes auto drivelines, with a prospective for strike action in mid-September.

Unite states there was a 95% vote in favour of strike action on a 95% turnout.

“GKN Automotive is unhappy by the final result of the ballot but respects the proper of our colleagues to consider genuine industrial action,” stated a assertion from the supplier despatched to just-vehicle.

“However, this does not transform our challenging determination to shut the Erdington plant.”

The union maintains an choice business enterprise approach created by GKN staff, the factory’s senior administration, Unite officials and local politicians, was turned down by the supplier in Might.

Adhering to the mind-boggling yes vote, Unite is contacting on functions to achieve agreement on long run generation and assist. These include govt, local politicians, GKN’s customers, this sort of as JLR, Toyota and Nissan, the Highly developed Propulsion Centre and GKN Automotive CEO, Liam Butterworth.

The union notes failure to achieve agreement could see strike action hit the plant and customers throughout the coming months.

“This is a great final result and reveals the resolve and self esteem of the GKN workforce to fight for their work opportunities, their community and the long-phrase long run of their plant,” stated Unite assistant standard secretary, Steve Turner.

“This is a highly practical plant, which could and need to be participating in a foremost role as the United kingdom moves to the electrification of its automotive sector.

“It is now incumbent all people worried with the long run of GKN Driveline like customers, the govt, local politicians and GKN’s father or mother company, Melrose, come alongside one another to hammer out a long run for the plant and the UK’s source of important components. The choice is a long drawn-out dispute that will problems both of those GKN and the company’s consumer foundation.

“We have called an urgent assembly of all functions associated and count on both of those GKN, its consumer foundation, as very well as the govt, to react positively to a practical choice approach to protected the plant’s long run.

“The ball is now firmly in GKN and Melrose’s court docket and how they react will dictate how this dispute will create around the coming months and months.”