Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Unilever
On the evening of Friday 20th January and the morning and afternoon of the following Saturday, workers at Unilevers Leeds site in Seacroft took a further 24hrs of strike action in opposition to the companys attempts to
close the final salary pension scheme. This forms part of an eleven day programme of rolling action across Unilevers sites up and down the country. An USDAW member in Leeds The mood amongst strikers is one of determination, with them facing losing between 20-40% of their pension funds as the company wants to move to a career average scheme. Just before this action took place the union had heard that the companies trustees had voted to accept this plan. The company, which was founded by philanthropist Lord Leverhume, still claims to hold social responsibility amongst its values. Yet despite making $4.6bn euros in profits last year, they now claim they cant afford to pay the workforce a decent pension and as a recent video produced by Unite the Union points out the entire workforce of the Liptons tea factory in Pakistan are temporary workers with no job security (see http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Theeovq1c). Moreover, the company spitefully cancelled christmas parties, presents and bonuses for its workforce because of the industrial action. But just as the company can show it has no good will, so can the workforce. The Leeds site produces well over a million units a day, with last year producing a record breaking 560m. But to do this the company is heavily reliant on overtime to make up production shortfalls (not least due to the effects of the strikes). But this weekend, no electricians are willing to work meaning that production will stop during the sunday evening shift after the strike production will only be able to restart for a few hours in between this causing a further impact on the company. Whilst the industrial action will be having an impact on the company, at present they are refusing to even enter ACAS mediated talks with the unions.Reps from across Unilever sites will meet to discuss the next steps in the campaign after the present round of industrial action is concluded. If the company are still refusing to come to the negotiating table then it is likely to take an escalation of the action to do so. In the meantime, Unilever workers and the unions should aim to build links with all others fighting for decent pensions, not least workers in the public sector who face similar attacks on their pensions. Unions and trades councils should invite Unilever workers to speak at meetings to help counter the governments attempts to divide public and private sector workers, and instead fight for a decent pension for every worker.
Administrators KPMG announced they were 'delighted' to have saved 1,000 jobs with La Senza in the UK on Monday. They didn't mention the remaining 1,600 workers thrown on the dole with ten minutes' notice. Stunned workers were given 30 minutes to collect their belongings and a standard form to claim redundancy money and unpaid wages from the Insolvency Service. At a mass meeting in the warehouse on Monday night, a representative from KPMG unceremoniously informed 250 warehouse, mail order and office staff that despite the 'rescue' deal signed with Alshaya, our jobs, as well as those of the staff of 80 stores, were no longer required. Alshaya is one of the largest retail companies in the Middle East
and manages over 55 international brands. In my workplace, this blow falls particularly heavily on young workers, most under the age of 30, and many with young families. The sense of shock and betrayal in the air was palpable, as former La Senza employees queued to collect their forms. Many workers have ten, 15 or 20 years service with the company, who are currently claiming that we are only entitled to statutory redundancy pay from the government, which could take over three months to be paid. The disgust was particularly strong because of the lies and distortions fed to the workforce over the last few weeks. Following the announcement that La Senza was in trouble just before Christmas, we were repeatedly told that we shouldn't worry, that a deal was being negotiated and we should carry on working as normal. Mail order and warehouse staff were even made to do extra overtime (on top of what we normally do, meaning 12 hour shifts or more), in order to catch up with orders. We now have to claim these wages from the government as well. La Senza, KPMG and the other retail giants and consortiums claim that restructuring and job losses are necessary due to the state of the economy, i.e. the collapse in consumer spending brought on by the credit crisis, and exacerbated by government attacks on public sector workers and wage freezes, cuts to hours and job losses in the private sector. These factors undoubtedly exist. However, in the case of La Senza, it is not so much that the company is losing money, it is just not making enough money to satisfy the private equity parasites, Lion Capital, who withdrew their investment. Alshaya have swooped in like vultures, to pick off the 60 best stores, and add them to their already massive high street portfolio. La Senza workers in the UK are heartened by and 100% in support of the occupation of the Liffey Valley store in Dublin, demanding their overtime payments for December and unpaid wages. The speech made by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins in the Dil supporting these workers, was particularly inspiring, and should stand as a lesson to politicians in the UK who claim to represent ordinary people. (You can watch the video here: http://www.joehiggins.ie/2012/01/videojoe-higgins-urges-minister-to-ensure-la-senza-workers-entitlementsare-met/ or see below for transcription) 2012 will see further downturns in the retail sector, with further mass redundancies likely. It is time for the general unions: Unite, GMB and Usdaw, to step up their recruitment campaigns in this sector massively. It is also time for all workers and trade unionists to join the fight for new workers' party, that will stand up for the rights of ordinary workers, and fight back against the savage attacks by the bosses, big business
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