Members of the AA Democratic Union (AADU) working at the AA motoring services group have voted overwhelmingly to accept a 4.5% pay award.
In addition to the base pay rise, the AADU has also secured the reinstatement of free AA membership for all permanent staff – a benefit that was scrapped when the company was previosuly owned by the British Gas parent company Centrica.
Alistair MacLean, national secretary of the AADU, said: “This deal is well ahead of the average pay settlement concluded this year. This was a hard-won pay award and the result of a series of tough negotiations with the AA management.”
Martin Sawkins, the AA’s HR director, said: “With regard to the pay award, this reflects a tough round of negotiations and a fair settlement in the context of the performance of the business.”
The AADU claims to have about 70% union membership across the AA. The union was formed during 2004 after the group was bought by venture capitalists CVC and Permira for £1.75bn.
A bitter war of words has been rumbling on between the AADU and rival union the GMB. Both claim to represent the majority of workers and accuse each other of running ‘hate’ campaigns.
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“The relationship between the AADU and the GMB is a matter for them and not one that the AA will get involved with,” Sawkins said.
