MOTOR giant Ford says it will "gladly" meet union bosses after its Southampton factory joined national colleagues in rejecting a pay offer.

As reported in yesterday's Daily Echo, see below, more than 1,300 blue collar workers at the Ford Transit van assembly plant at Swaythling voted last week on a 6.75 per cent pay rise over two years. They were among nearly 11,000 Ford workers across Britain who narrowly rejected the proposals. The main unions involved - the TGWU and Amicus - had recommended acceptance.

Now Ford says it is waiting to hear from national union representatives regarding the next step.

Industrial action may well be on the cards if the pay dispute is not resolved through negotiations.

A Ford spokesman said: "We are waiting to hear something formally from the unions. We would gladly have a meeting with them."

Blue-collar workers, who are paid hourly rates, currently earn an average of £23,000 at Southampton. A further 122 white-collar staff, who have salaries, are subject to different pay talks.