Neil Adams, Reading Socialist Party
Unite the Union is currently in dispute with John Crane UK, a specialist engineering company based in Slough. The strike on 10 April was the second of six consecutive Thursdays of strike action.
The 40 angry workers rejected an insulting pay offer of 3%. This follows the removal of the final salary pension scheme in 2009 and ten years of below-inflation pay deals, with no pay award during Covid, despite working through it!
These highly skilled and undervalued workers are quite rightly angry. Last year, the previous CEO was awarded a 22% increase and his severance package will see him drawing an income until 2026!
The pickets also highlighted the fact that a production manager received a £10,000 bonus while they are not entitled to any.
And it’s not like John Crane UK is hard up, being part of Smiths Group, with an operating profit of £526 million last year.
The friendly picket line was lively and well attended with 40 having turned out during the day.
I distributed leaflets for the upcoming National Shop Stewards Network conference and sold the Socialist.
We plan on visiting the upcoming picket lines with solidarity, support and socialist ideas!
