Ford UK faces its first strike since the 1970s, after Unite stated its intentions to hold a ballot for industrial action in response to the car manufacturer’s decision to close its final salary pension scheme to new members. It is feared that this will eventually result in closure for all workers.

Ford also said that it will lower new starters’ rates of pay which work out 10 per cent less than that of existing workers. Unite argues that both alterations within the company’s financial structure will in turn create a two tier workforce, something which Unite has stated that it will not tolerate.

Unite national officer Roger Maddison said: “We urge Ford to return to the negotiating table if it wants to avoid the dispute. We fiercely oppose the closure of Ford’s final salary scheme to new entrants. This is the thin end of the wedge. Ultimately we believe Ford will try to close the entire scheme.”

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