Amicus Calls For Talks With Land Rover To Avert Next Strike

LONDON, January 27 -- Trade union Amicus has written to Land Rover, formally asking them to resume talks to resolve the dispute over pay at the company's Solihull and Gaydon plants in the West Midlands.

Today unions representing workers at Land Rover announced that the next 24 hour stoppage will begin at 6 am on Monday 9th February. Following the decision on the next strike date, union representatives on the national negotiating committee have written to the company calling them to take part in urgent pay talks to avert further industrial action.

Duncan Simpson, Amicus National Officer for the Motor Vehicle Industry and leading member of the Land Rover National Negotiating Committee, said:

"It's in the best interests of the company and our members to resolve this dispute quickly. So far Land Rover have only offered to meet to clarify the existing pay offer but we've written to the company today to urge them to enter into meaningful pay negotiations to secure the long term future of Land Rover in the West Midlands."

Workers say the company's 61/2% pay offer will not give them parity with other colleagues in Ford owned Jaguar and voted overwhelmingly to reject the company offer by 82% in a ballot in October.

Yesterday's strike represents an escalation of union action, following the introduction of an overtime ban in December and withdrawal from the operating time flexibility agreement effective from the 5th January.

Catherine Bithell on +44 (0)20 7 420 8909 or +44 (0)7958 473 224