New Holland factory workers strike
In April, New Holland unveiled a special edition T7.300 tractor to mark the Basildon plant's 60th year.
More than 500 workers at CNH Industrial's Basildon tractor factory will begin pay strikes in May, according to one of the UK's biggest trade unions.
CNH Industrial operates commercially through its brands, which include Case IH, New Holland Agriculture, New Holland Construction and CASE Construction Equipment.
It's expected the action will severely impact the supply of New Holland tractors, which have been made at the factory in England for more than 60 years.
Basildon is a key factory for the brand. According to New Holland, a complete tractor rolls off the Basildon assembly line every five minutes, where the T6 and T7 ranges, spanning 125-300hp, are manufactured. The site also manufactures the firm's biomethane-powered tractor.
Unite said that workers are angry that the company has "reneged" on an agreement struck in 2022, stating pay increases would be calculated by the average rate of inflation over the year.
A spokesman said: "CNH is instead offering 4% for 2024, rather than the 7.4% it should be under the original agreement. For 2025, the company is offering the rate of inflation as of December 2024.
"CNH Group reported record profits of £2.4bn in 2023, and profits are forecast to stay high for the next three years. Chief executive Scott Wine received a total compensation package of £19m in 2022, which was 310 times the pay of the average worker at CNH Group."
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham added: "The pay deal with CNH was agreed in good faith and the company’s extremely healthy finances show that there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for it not to be adhered to.
“CNH is simply trying to rake in even more profits by short-changing its workers.”
The workers, comprising nearly the entire shopfloor of the factory, will strike on May 14-16, May 21-23, and May 28-30.
They say more strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved.
A CNH spokesman told the the company was "disappointed" they had been unable to reach an agreement.
"We recognize the union’s decision creates high anxiety among our represented employees in Basildon, as well as our other employees, our customers, and our community. During this period, we foresee no disruption to tractor supply," he said.
"The company remains committed to reaching an agreement, and we are keen to work with the Union to resolve this situation in a timely manner. We will continue to negotiate in good faith and trust that the Union will do the same."
