WORKERS at Nissan's North-East car plant were last night deciding on their next move after voting for strike action for the first time in its history.

Forty staff in Nissan's purchasing department were balloted by their union Amicus over plans to move them from the factory in Sunderland to its design HQ in Cranfield, Bedfordshire.

Of those balloted, 17 voted in favour of a strike, five voted against, while 18 did not return their papers.

Amicus has complained that the affected workers were not consulted over the proposed transfer and have been treated like "robots".

Last night, Mel Barros, the union's regional officer, warned that a series of stoppages could be held by purchasing department staff.

He said: "We asked the company to respond by this evening to our request to open a formal dialogue with the union on behalf of our members and they have not.

"Our members will now consult between themselves and determine what happens next."

Earlier, Amicus claimed employees were told that they must notify the company by January 1 that they were prepared to move by June 1. The union said: "The company made this decision without the consultation of the employees involved.

"The majority of employees in the purchasing department are of the opinion that it is unreasonable for the company to expect them to make such an important decision, as alternatives to relocation have not been discussed or offered."

The union claims that its requests to be involved in talks have been rejected.

A Nissan spokesman said attractive relocation terms had been offered to purchasing staff to make the move.

It was also working to hard to find alternative employment for those who wished to remain in Sunderland.

He said: "Our discussions so far have been reasonable and amicable and we are hopeful that the matter can be quickly resolved.

"We have had a good record of employee relations in the past and this has helped us secure investment in new models.

"It is not in our interests to see strike action at the plant and we are doing everything we can to stave off this possibility."

In October, The Northern Echo revealed Nissan's plans to transfer vehicle part purchasing to its European research and development base, a move affecting 59 jobs.

It is part of a global strategy to align design, development and purchasing, which will also see workers moving from Nissan operations in France and Spain.

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