Driver claims stopped bonus
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by Karen Miles • A former Air Products driver plans to take the gas manufacturer to an industrial tribunal over a claimed lack of consultation at the time of Wincanton's takeover of the cortipany's transport. If he presses his case successfully Air Products could face similar claims from about 90 other drivers.
Geoff Banks, who worked from Air Product's Sandllach depot until Wincanton Transport took over in July this year, claims that his previous employer ended bonus payments without consultation.
According to his union, the GMB, Air Products stopped bonus payments worth around £40 a week to around 90 drivers who had chosen to take redundancy rather than transfer to Wincanton. The GMB says that its national agreement with Air
Products required consultation. Banks is taking advice from GAM lawyers.
The dispute relates to a fourweek transition period when Wincanton had taken over the bulk of the contract although the 90 remained temporarily on the Air Products payroll.
The GMB says the drivers worked to receive bonus payments for the period before the company removed the extra payments. Banks also claims that Wincanton refused to take him on for another contract after they found out he had received redundancy from AP. This is denied by Wincanton.
When Wincanton took over at Air Products it introduced pay cuts averaging £8,000 a year. Drivers were paid a transfer fee of £18,000 but pay dropped to around £17,500, or 1340 for a 50-hour week.