Video: Hundreds of workers at Camelon coach builders down tools for fortnight over pay dispute

The strike action is due to end on Sunday, December 17 and pickets will be present each day of the dispute at the ADL facilities in Glasgow Road, Camelon, and Central Boulevard, Larbert from 8am.

The strike action follows the rejection of pay offers under five per cent for 2023, and 2024, which the union stated represents a real terms pay cut.

Earlier in the year Unite members recorded an 81.3 per cent yes vote in favour of industrial action on a 72 per cent turnout.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Unite’s skilled manufacturing members at Alexander Dennis deserve far better from their employer. The pay offer

tabled by the company represents a substantial real terms pay cut and is totally unacceptable.

“The workers at Alexander Dennis will receive Unite’s full support in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”

In October 2022, Unite members voted to accept a 7.7 per cent pay offer following several rounds of industrial action at ADL after the company originally offered only

four per cent.

Pat Egan, Unite industrial officer, said: “This dispute is entirely of Alexander Dennis’ own making. It has had every chance to make our members a fair pay offer but it

has failed to do so.”

An ADL spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed that the unions are going ahead with their industrial action. Our latest offer would take the hourly rate of a

vehicle builder to £19.04 by April 2024, considerably higher than our primary domestic competitor, reflecting the high regard we have for the skills of our workforce.

“We have taken every measure possible over the past few years to retain as many highly skilled jobs as possible. Despite the challenges that the bus manufacturing industry continues to navigate, we have invested heavily in upgraded facilities and new products that will underpin our long-term future.

“Here in the UK, we do not have the benefit of protectionist policies and indeed in some cases we are held to a higher standard than importers.”