AA workers back strike action over pensions cap
Workers at the private equity-owned AA breakdown service have voted to hold the first strike in the company’s 105-year history in a row over pensions, their union said yesterday.
The Independent Democratic Union (IDU) said 57 per cent of thoseballoted supported the strike to protest against plans to limit theirpensions. The turnout was 87 per cent of its 2,400 members.
“The IDU National Executive will now meet to decide on the date andnature of strike action to be taken if the AA continues to refuse to enter into meaningful negotiations,” the union said in a statement.
The AA, which merged with Saga and is owned by a trio of private equity houses Permira, CVC and Charterhouse, said the IDU was “out of touch with the real world” and should reconsider its threat.
The AA’s pension scheme had an estimated deficit of £190m last November, the company said.