DHL staff set to stage walkouts at Jaguar Land Rover
LOGISTICS staff at Jaguar Land Rover’s three UK production plants are to take part in a series of stoppages in support of an ongoing pay dispute.
Workers employed by DHL will stage half-hour walkouts at the factories in Castle Bromwich, Solihull and Halewood on Wednesday.
The DHL employees, who work alongside the JLR workers, are seeking pay parity with those employed by the Indian-owned group.
DHL is JLR’s logistics partner and its staff manage stock at various warehouses to ensure there is a steady supply of parts to the three factories.
The stoppages are unlikely to impact production too severely but are an indication of the Unite union’s intentions to force DHL management into further negotiations.
Reports have suggested that DHL workers have been offered a 4.5% increase backdated to January and a 3% increase or the rate of inflation during 2014.
However, Unite is understood to want a 12.8% rise for the 1,800 DHL employees working directly at the JLR plants plus 20.6% for the drivers delivering the parts.
DHL has expressed its disappointment at the decision while the carmaker has urged a speedy resolution of the matter before it impacts on production and investment plans.
