Strikes by more than 500 workers at CNH Industrial’s tractor factory in Basildon will continue through June.
It’s after workers went on strike for 10 days in May after CNH broke a 2022 agreement that pay increases would be calculated by the average rate of inflation over the previous year.
Instead, CNH has offered a 4% increase for 2024 over the 7.4% it should have done.
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The company, which made profits of £2.4b in 2023, is offering the rate of inflation as of January 2024.
The UK’s leading union, Unite, has said they will back the CNH workers.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “CNH will not get away with its broken pay promises. It is making massive profits and the only reason the company is reneging on the deal is out and out corporate greed.
“No amount of double-dealing or attempts to undermine the strikes will work, CNH Basildon workforce will not back down and they have the full power of Unite supporting them.”
CNH has said it has a revised offer but is refusing to table it unless Unite agrees to recommend the unseen deal to its members.
Unite say this is the latest attempt to undermine the strike action, and they claim that their workplace reps have also been targeted with altered shift timed.
A CNH spokesperson said: “The company is disappointed that the parties were unable to reach an agreement and that the Unite Union has decided on this course of action.
“The company remains committed to reaching an agreement, and we are keen to work with the Union to resolve this situation in a timely manner. We will continue to negotiate in good faith, and trust that the Union will do the same.”
They say that during this period, no disruption to tractor supply is forecasted.
Despite this, strike action will continue on 13 days across June, and Unite say they expect the New Holland tractor supply to be severely compromised.
