Scottish factory workers launch week-long strike as contract change dispute escalates

Almost 300 employees at a Fife factory are set to begin a week-long strike.

The dispute at Glenrothes-based Bosch Rexroth, which engineers parts for the construction industry, including gears and brakes as well as parts for forklift trucks, centres around a dispute over proposed contract changes.

More than 280 Unite members are now set for strike action after 95 per cent backed the move in a ballot. The industrial action will start at 6am on December 8, and run until the close of the working day on December 15.

Bosch Rexroth base in Glenrothes which could be hit by strike action (Pic: Google Maps)

The strike announcement comes despite what the company called “a collective conciliation meeting” facilitated by ACAS and scheduled for Monday.

The escalating dispute is a result of workers overwhelmingly rejecting new contracts, which the union said were detrimental to existing terms and conditions.

Unite said the company planned to impose short-time working without the negotiated agreement with the union – and workers could lose up to 40 per cent of take home pay per month, equivalent to a monthly loss of nearly £1,000.

It further said Bosch Rexroth, based in the town’s Viewfield Industrial Estate, planned to impose an annualised hours system that could put workers up to 70 hours in debt. If a worker is paid for more hours than they have worked, an employer can recover the over-payment on a debt basis.

The claims were disputed by the German-owned business, which said all discussions regarding terms and conditions “have been conducted transparently and in good faith over a period of several months”. Bosch Rexroth added: “No employee has been, or will be, forced to sign a contract that makes them financially worse off.”

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Hundreds of members at Bosch Rexroth have emphatically backed taking strike action. Under no circumstances will Unite allow their take-home pay to be brutally cut by a company, which is extremely wealthy.

"Unite will fully support our members in the fight to protect their jobs, pay and conditions.”

George Ramsay, Unite industrial officer, said: “Bosch Rexroth workers have no option but to fight back because the company is trying to impose changes, which will drastically slash their pay. Strike action will inevitably cause severe disruption for the company’s clients, but it has brought this on itself.”

In response, a company spokesperson said: “Bosch Rexroth has engaged constructively with employees and union representatives on proposals regarding contractual changes that aim to maintain full employment at the Glenrothes site while facing disruptive market conditions as part of our regular business cycle.

“We firmly believe that the new proposals are essential to provide the necessary flexibility to respond to market fluctuations. It was disappointing that after presenting the initial proposal to employees and making significant changes, Unite still took the decision to ballot for industrial action.

“Bosch Rexroth organised a collective conciliation meeting facilitated by ACAS on Monday, and continues to act transparently and in good faith throughout these discussions, with an ongoing commitment to open dialogue to find solutions that support both our people and the long-term sustainability of the plant.

We remain fully committed to constructive engagement with Unite and our employees to achieve a sustainable future that benefits everyone.”