Barclays could face strike action
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Barclays could face strike action
The closure of Barclays’ final salary pension scheme may prompt strike action, with workers due to be balloted in August, the BBC has reported.
If the vote was won then the strikes would occur in September.
Union Unite has described the intense anger of those affected, and reported 92% in favour of industrial action in a consultative survey of workers.
Joint general secretary of Unite Derek Simpson has strongly condemned Barclays’ decision to close the final salary scheme to all 17,000 current employees.
However Reuters has reported that John Varley, the chief executive of the bank, has argued that closing the scheme would be preferable for shareholders as well as present and future staff members because of the large pension fund deficit.
The UK Retirement Fund (UKRF) of Barclays was £2.2bn in deficit at the end of September, but a year earlier had been in surplus by £200m.
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Let us hope for the sake of the staff that they will choose not to take advice from the union and strike.
Companies can no longer afford to dish out these lavish pensions and I’m sure there are thousands of people would be happy to take over the jobs of staff who are not happy with the alternative pensions being offered. Barclays have a pension defecit of £2.2bn. – They could always make some of the staff redundant.
When will people realise that they are lucky to have a job that pays a reasonable amount and if they are not happy – leave!
Comment by Geoff — July 17, 2009 @ 3:51 pm