FORTY-FIVE drivers and warehousemen at Nippon Express Air Freight Agent in Hayes near Heathrow Airport are on their third day of a three day strike action today against management attempts to massively cut their terms and conditions.
Striking Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) member Keith Dyerson spoke to News Line on the picket line.
He said: ‘At the moment I work Monday to Friday and the company want to change that to five days on, three days off and one weekend off in six.
‘I’m a family man with two young boys and this would mean I would never see them.
‘They are also trying to cut our overtime rate from double time to time and a half, and overall I am facing a wage cut of eight-to-ten thousand pounds a year.’
Pointing to a group twenty yards inside the gate, Keith added: ‘Every time we talk to van drivers asking them to respect our picket line these security guys film us.
‘This is intimidation. They have been brought in specially.’
TGWU Industrial Organiser Tony Doran told News Line: ‘The company is refusing to speak with us.
‘We tried to have a last ditch meeting yesterday but the company refused to move.
‘They are trying to introduce a roster adding 44 days a year, slash overtime rates, cut 60 to 75 hours holiday a year and massively cut shift allowances.’
The TGWU states:
‘The company are demanding the following:
1) That we work 44 days a year more than we currently do;
2) Our overtime rate on a Sunday is to be reduced by 25 per cent;
3) When we go on holiday we will lose between 60 hrs to 75 hrs a year;
4) We will lose £326 (Day Shifts) £512 (Night Shifts) in shift pay as the company want to reduce our shift pay;
5) Many of our members will lose £1,265 in shift pay allowances due to new rosters being introduced;
6) We are being asked to accept a 1.7 per cent below inflation pay rise
7) A stop to any shift pay on overtime;
8) When we work a bank holiday we will lose nine hours pay.’
