Unite to ballot its members in Scottish Power on industrial action

Phil Black - PII Editor 19/08/2014

115 1 minute read

Listen to this article

Workers in Scottish Power Energy Networks in Scotland, England and Wales voted on possible industrial action on Monday 18 August in a dispute over changes to their terms and conditions of employment.

Unite, the UK’s biggest union, is holding a ballot of its 1,000 members at Scottish Power Energy Networks across sites including Merseyside, North Wales, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Scottish borders on whether to take industrial action, short of a strike over the removal of their rostered days off entitlement being imposed by the company. The ballot closes Monday 8 September.

The workers, ex-industrial staff including linesman, jointers, drivers and craft persons, do essential jobs to maintain and repair electricity networks that provide electricity to customers’ homes.

Unite national officer, Kevin Coyne said: “Unite will not accept changes to workers’ terms and conditions being imposed without proper consultation.

“To remove our members’ rostered days off – which they are entitled to – is totally unacceptable.

“We have tried to negotiate with the company, but it has stubbornly refused to resolve the dispute. The union has been left with no option now, but to ballot its members for industrial action in a bid to persuade the employer not to impose these unacceptable changes.

“We urge Scottish Power Energy Networks management to get back around the negotiating table.”