THE HIGH Court has rejected an attempt by GE Steam Power to stop strikes at its Rugby factory.
Members of Unite the Union at the 125-year-old Newbold Road site, which manufactures and repairs steam turbine equipment, are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay for training staff.
Following the start of strike action on August 8, GE Steam Power applied to the High Court for an injunction, claiming the ballot paper was defective, that the trade dispute wasn’t properly defined, and that Unite members did not know what the dispute was about.
But the judge rejected all the claims by the company and found in favour of Unite.
Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou said it was an important victory.
She said: “The judge rejected all grounds of the company’s claim that the ballot paper was defective, and that the trade dispute wasn’t properly defined. This was rejected by the court, and the union’s evidence was accepted.
“All-out industrial action will continue until GE Steam Power abides by the union recognition agreement and provides an acceptable training payment for our members to train others.”
Unite was represented in the case by Thompsons Solicitors. The legal firm’s Head of Trade Union Law Richard Arthur said: “We are pleased to have won such a comprehensive rejection of the company’s claims.
“Industrial action is always a last resort, but it’s a necessary one when employers won’t listen, and Thompsons is proud to work alongside unions to challenge employers who seek to prevent legitimate industrial action.
“The current government and the Tory leadership candidates are encouraging employers to see industrial disputes as malicious and something to attack for political advantage – when in reality it’s about working people having no other option and nowhere else to turn.”
A GE spokesperson said: “We respect employees’ right to take industrial action on issues important to them.
“While the court did not agree with our position, we believe that had the issues been raised through ongoing communication they could have been resolved.
“The Steam Power management in Rugby continues to have discussions with the union and has actively proposed solutions to the issues raised. We are hopeful we will reach a resolution quickly.”
Earlier this year, more than 75 Unite members staged the first strikes at the factory in 45 years, over what they said was GE Steam Power’s ‘refusal to negotiate over flexible working payments and the expectation that workers will take on new roles without extra pay’.
The site, which was founded in 1897, manufactures industrial plant steam turbine equipment, some of which is used on the UK’s nuclear submarines.
As well as halting production, the strikes have also disrupted the site’s repair and refurbishment service for steam rotating equipment.
