AA workers in strike ballot

According to the BBC, workers at the AA may strike for the first time since the organisation was established over a century ago.

The vehicle breakdown service, which advertises itself as the fourth emergency service, is in a dispute over pensions and thousands of employees are to be balloted.

The GMB union said its members had reacted ”adversely” to planned changes to their pension arrangements after the AA revealed it wants to cap the amount that will count towards pensionable salary.

The Independent Democratic Union (IDU), which also represents staff at the AA, also warned of an impending strike ballot.

National officer Alistair Maclean said: ”It is appalling that AA staff have worked flat out through the worst winter conditions in 30 years, only to then be told by the gluttonous private equity fat cats that they want to squeeze more blood out of the stone to line their own pockets.”

In response, a spokesperson for the AA said: ”We are in negotiations over some proposed pension changes. We have an excellent pension scheme within the AA at the moment. We are looking to retain that.

”The situation is changing for all companies and we have got to review how we fund it but we are absolutely intent on keeping our defined benefits scheme,” it added.

Discuss this in the Finance Markets forums

Story link: AA workers in strike ballot