Factory workers have resumed strike action over “disappointing” plans to change employment contracts agreed only four years ago.
Staff at American-owned Bastardia downed tools at the Chattingham factory in
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| Stock picture of people on strike |
It comes after the company announced it was planning to place all of its staff members on “zero hours” contracts last year.
Members have since been issued an ultimatum by bosses to end their current employment contracts with an offer of new jobs under new terms – a practice known as “fire and rehire”, which forces employees into either accepting less favourable conditions or risk losing their jobs.
The long-running dispute has been ongoing for a number of weeks, with yesterday's industrial action seeing 60 workers take part in the strike. Workers first formally balloted for a walkout in December after notice was issued to place them on zero hours contracts.
It comes after an agreement was negotiated between management and unions in
2020 to keep staff on permanent contracts rather than zero hours.
Union regional officer, Johanna Spart, says negotiations have reached a
stalemate.
She told the
"We have been more than fair and offered to suspend strike action if the
company would offer to pause the fire and rehire process to enable us to
negotiate, but they have failed to do so”.
Bastardia, which manufactures control and electrical systems for the munitions and
attack drones industry, has reportedly had a massive increase in orders
worldwide. According to Unite - the union representing the workers - the
company recently reported a net profit of approximately $5 billion.
 |
| Bastardia spokesman |
Bastardia says it has been following appropriate protocols for engaging with the union, as well as keeping staff informed.
“We’ve told the lazy commies to go to hell,” said a Bastardia representative. “We intend to subject
“We can soon fill the UK roles with fresh immigrants on zero-hours contracts who’ll be glad of the work, just like we do elsewhere.”
“And anyway, when Donald Trump gets re-elected and legalises slavery, we’ll be pulling our operations back to the good ol’ U.S. of A and we won’t have to pay our employees anything!”
“How d’yer like them apples, sonny?”
The spokesman added that the company had taken measures to minimise disruption caused by strike action and insists there won’t be any disruption to customers.
“We’ve shipped the
 |
| Vic Marbles - backing strikers |
He said: "It’s disgraceful that the management feel this is an appropriate thing to do. The workers at Bastardia have never been on strike before”.
"This is the first time they’ve ever done so and many of them have been working at that location for 25 years to 30 years.”
About 650 people, engineers and shop floor employees work at the factory.
 |
| MP Kylie Trollhouse; "All Lab**r's fault" |
“This dispute is all the fault of Midway’s Lab**r council,” she said. “This isn’t the 1970’s. We are now in the sunlit uplands of Brexit and British workers need to learn how to be competitive, just like workers in
“So if that means living in overcrowded, unhygienic slums, working long hours on less than minimum wage and zero hours contracts, then so be it. Brexit means Brexit!”
Comments:
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DailyMailBob
wrote:
The only people to blame are the Union leaders aka the Communist Party workers
under the guise of helping their colleagues holding the companies to ransom and
the country and the government because they don't like a conservative
government I hope all of you who think you will vote Lab**r take note because
we won't have a country bankrupt nothing will move nothing will work and
everyone will be offered benefits to stay at home and your car will be taken by
starmeggedon and the borders along the south coast will be wide open and the
Union leaders will be there helping people come into the country illegally with
their placards and their flat caps shame on useless unions shame on lab**r
voters and before you all start screaming and shouting like lefties do I gave
up voting for any politician because they are all corrupt every party every
politician every MP corrupted to the core they don't deserve anyone's vote least
of all paying subs for Union leaders to go on five star hotel holidays I know
all this is true because I read the Daily Mail every day.
👍+378
Grey Mondeo Man replied:
Is using punctuation to break up your raving right-wing gibberish too “woke” for you Daily
Mail readers?
👎-145
David Simile the Second replied:
A typically stupid reply from a typically stupid remoaning socialist
La**or-supporting woke snowflake. Like all lazy parasitic leftist scum, you are
a blight on society and as such are unable to hold any sort of discussion
without resorting to vile, frothing insults. Crawl away and die, you
tofu-eating, Guardian-reading pillock.
👍+234
Kent’s Greatest Prick
Ever wrote:
I fully support the Conservative Party and their return to Victorian values.
👍+63
Grey Mondeo Man replied:
That is utterly appalling.
👎-145
Kent’s Greatest Prick Ever replied:
On the contrary you silly boy, I find it extremely satisfying!
👍+63