Taylor Wimpey has asked around 50 joiners and scaffolders in the North East to sign new contracts on reduced terms after a regular pay audit found that their earnings were nearly 25% higher than those in comparable roles.
The discrepancy was identified during pay audits for directly employed workers. The difference was mainly made up of higher bonuses, and the affected workers are among Taylor Wimpey’s Direct Labour roles in the North East.
The audit compared the pay of directly employed workers with comparable roles. The company says the review was part of a regular benchmarking exercise, while the union is seeking information from the employer and has questioned the treatment of the workers.
The housebuilder said the review formed part of a regular benchmarking exercise. It said a small number of Direct Labour roles had terms and conditions that were significantly ahead of comparable rates and required review.
Unite has criticised the request for workers to accept reduced terms. Greg Robson, a regional officer at the union, said Taylor Wimpey had serious questions to answer about how it had treated the workers.
Robson said Unite would continue to support affected members through the process and would press Taylor Wimpey for information to which the union is entitled. He added that the union was looking at all avenues to fight the change, including industrial action.
Taylor Wimpey said the consultation process had been concluded fairly and openly and that it had consulted ACAS. A grievance has been raised in line with the Construction Joint Industry Council Working Rule Agreement.
The company said it was committed to engaging fully with employees before a final resolution is reached. It said a number of potential outcomes were still being considered.
Taylor Wimpey also said it was committed to ensuring that all employees were treated fairly and consistently across the business and throughout the process.
The dispute centres on pay relativities between directly employed trades and comparable roles, and on how the company handles the move to revised contracts. For the workers involved, the immediate issue is whether they accept reduced terms; for the company, it is the completion of a pay review that it says was needed to align rates.
The company’s statement did not specify the final terms for the affected roles or the outcome of the grievance process. Unite’s response indicates that the change remains contested, while Taylor Wimpey says engagement with employees will continue before any final resolution.