Peugeot Shop Stewards meet today to up pressure on company over pensions and pay

London, February 17 -- Shop Stewards at Peugeot from the giant manufacturing union Amicus are meeting today (Monday) to up the pressure on the company over this years pay offer.

The meeting is on the back of a 36-hour strike last week. The strike and continuing dispute is over a company two year pay offer that is below the industry norm and includes permanently increasing employee contributions to the pension scheme by 1%.

Peugeot has also recently closed its Final Salary Pension Scheme to new members, which has increased the tension between the company and the union. As a result there are now over 700 people on an inferior Money Purchase Scheme.

Peugeot recently announced an increase in profits of 9% in 2002 over 2001.

Amicus Joint General Secretary Derek Simpson said: “The shop stewards at Peugeot have my full support in fighting for both a decent pay increase and a stable and secure pension for all workers at the company.

"Peugeot has posted increased profits and is performing very well. However, it's my members that have deliver this for the company, at the price of poorer pensions for a sizeable number of them and a substandard pay deal that also increases the cost of pensions for the rest.

"This is unacceptable, Peugeot must revisit this deal and come up with a better formula that properly rewards our members for the success they have produced for the company."

Brian Harris, tel +44 (0)7798 531 014 or John Park, tel +44 (0)7813 841 426