UCATT ballots HTC crane ops over pay

In negotiations, HTC has offered its operators a 3% pay rise, with another 3% coming next year. Holder says, "Our offer of 3% is treble the rate of the nurses' request of 1%, and double the rate of inflation. We see this as a fair and just reward. It's coupled to another 3% offer next year as well, so it's 6% over two years in all."

UCATT counters that the offer doesn't restore operators wages to pre-2009 levels. Secretary general Steve Murphy says, "Crane drivers are fed up. They have endured years of pay cuts and seen their pay fall in real terms. The industry is booming but their employers are not prepared to pay up."

Holder disputes the union's claim, saying, "It is simply untrue to suggest pay levels are below 2008 figures. Any operator who joined HTC after 2011 has enjoyed year on year, above inflation pay increases. Whilst our utilisation is currently very healthy, our revenues are some considerable way from where we would like them to be."

With the deadline for the ballot fast approaching, the dispute is getting increasingly heated. UCATT has accused HTC of trying to intimidate operators, by imposing their pay offer. Murphy says, "HTC's industrial relations resemble the attitude of a tin pot dictator. They have totally misunderstood the strength of feeling among our members. By imposing a pay offer which fails to meet our member's expectations, they have poked a hornet's nest of ill feeling."

Holder says that HTC has negotiated in good faith with the union's local reps, saying, "I'm extremely disappointed in UCATT. UCATT general secretary Steve Murphy has not attended any of the meetings with our works committee, which I've attended with UCATT London and South East regional secretary Jerry Swain, and yet sees fit to comment on what a terrible employer we are.

"UCATT's claim that we are intimidating their members is absolutely laughable. I haven't spoken to anyone from UCATT for over three weeks. They are unjustly targeting HTC."

The ballot closes on Monday 27 October. The union says a strike would affect projects across the UK, pointing out that the it would affect major contractors including Kier, Lend Lease, Bam, Costain, Mace and Vinci. High profile projects that HTC are working on include Crossrail, the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston and the London Bridge redevelopment. The union says that a strike would lead these projects to 'grind to a halt', adding that this dispute is likely to be the first of many involving pay rates at crane companies.

Holder says, "I'm extremely disappointed at any possible industrial action. It's a fair offer. It's in excess of public sector rises, and in line with requests from other union members at UCATT and Unison."