Rocket Range contractor accused union-
Unite, the UK’s largest union, has accused QinetiQ, the company that runs the South
Uist rocket range, of union-
It will set up “employee engagement group” to deal with workers’ conditions and issues.
Donnie Steele, Unite workplace representative for the rocket range said: “This derecognising of the unions is a bitter blow to the Hebrides Range Task Force, reps and staff that fought for the Hebrides and Butec ranges.
“The proposed Employee Engagement Group will not have the legal authority required to reach any collective agreement with the company, and as such will be used by the company, in the same way as the QinetiQ Employee Forum, to pass down messages from the top, and no ability to reach any agreements with the company.”
Mr Steele added: “Unite believe that the strategy behind de-
“It is now very likely that changes will be made to annual leave; sick pay, redundancy pay, allowances; pensions; performance pay, working hours, shift arrangements without any union moderation through constructive negotiations.”
Unite assistant general secretary, Gail Cartmail, said: "Unite will not take this lying down. QinetiQ workers want union recognition and they will fight to retain it. We will support our members all the way in this struggle and will pull out all the stops to ensure that QinetiQ reverses this decision.
“For our members this is vitally important as they know that without the union in
their workplace, their employer will be able to dictate terms and conditions -
“Unite will shortly be calling a meeting of all reps to discuss how we can defend
these long-