Amicus Move to Use GBP15m Strike Fund to Re-Establish Collective Bargaining in Engineering

LONDON, May 14, 2005 -- Amicus, the UK's largest private sector and engineering trade union, is launching a campaign to use a GBP15m strike fund to bring back collective bargaining in the engineering sector.

Amicus say that there is evidence that engineering pay differentials are growing as employers compare regional pay levels with one another. The union is campaigning for use of a GBP15m 'war chest' held by the Confederation for Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU), to bring back national collective bargaining for engineering companies.

Derek Simpson, Amicus' General Secretary, said, "Collective bargaining will help to restore better employee pay, skills and pensions. It will help attract more young talent into engineering which is blighted by recruitment difficulties and skills shortages.

"Better pay, conditions and training will also help deliver a level playing field with workers in Europe so UK workers do not continue to be the 'soft touch' they are now when multinationals seek to make job cuts."

Amicus say engineering companies failing to attain industry standards on pay, pensions and workplace training will be targeted and that they will work with European trade unions to coordinate campaigns to defend member's jobs and working conditions. Amicus say that figures reflect much stronger pay deals for workplaces with trade union organisation, for example pay deals for aerospace, shipbuilding and motor vehicles are higher.

The engineering union says the campaign meets the Labour Party commitments made at the National Policy Forum last July to raise productivity and health and safety standards as well as improving workers pay, skills and pensions.

Amicus will be forwarding the motion for use of the GBP15m strike fund to establish collective bargaining in engineering at the CSEU conference next month. Amicus members make up 80% of the CSEU membership. Amicus' National Officer for Aerospace and Shipbuilding, John Wall, will take over as CSEU President this autumn.

Amicus' conference, themed, 'Amicus changing the world' is taking place at the Brighton Conference Centre from Saturday 14th May until Wednesday 18th May.

Please call Catherine Bithell in the Amicus press office for further information on +44-7958-473-224