Assa action brings rewards

5 May, 2008

Workers at fastener manufacturer Assa Abloy have won an 11% pay rise over two years following four days of low-level industrial action - the first time industrial action has ever been taken at Assa.

The action, which involved an overtime ban and partial work to rule, finished on Tuesday of last week and the deal was ratified in Wednesday.

EPMU NIO Rachel Mackintosh says the delegate team was instrumental in the win.

"We've got more than one hundred members at this site from many different cultures but our delegate team is really representative of their members and worked extremely hard to make sure members stuck together through the action.

"When we had the ratification meeting it was more like a celebration," says Mackintosh, "with members standing up and making speeches thanking their delegates."

"These are not highly paid workers and the extra they have been able to achieve through taking action will really make a difference to them."

The deal is for an eight percent across the board pay rise over the next two years with a further 3% allocated members according to skills and training.