Trustees' reluctant acceptance not 'green light' to impose poorer
Unilever pensions
20 January 2012
Unite the union has today warned giant global consumer company,
Unilever, that it must not regard today's trustees' report on the
company pension as a `green light' to force through changes which
will see workers lose out by thousands of pounds each year.
Unilever workers are currently on day three of eleven days of
strike action across the UK operation, hitting production of
leading brands such as Marmite, Pot Noodle, Flora and Hellman's
mayonnaise.
Commenting on the Trustee board's agreement not to oppose
Unilever's changes which will end the final salary scheme for the
company's 7,000 UK workers, Unite national officer Jennie Formby
said: "While the trustees’ statement will be disappointing for
workers, it will not come as a surprise and it certainly won't
deter them. Strike action has been solid so far and our
members have reiterated their determination to continue their
campaign until Unilever does the decent thing and starts talking to
Unite and the other Unilever unions about how to resolve this
dispute.
"It must be noted though, that the trustee board has stated that
it does not welcome the company's decision to cease final salary
accrual. So this statement cannot be seen as a strong
endorsement of the company’s proposals.
"Further, there is no mention anywhere in the statement of the
deficit, once again emphasising the company’s statement to the
unions during the consultation that there is no pressing financial
imperative to change the scheme. Indeed, the trustees’
reiteration that it is up to the company to determine what it
‘considers to be an appropriate and sustainable reward policy’ puts
the ball firmly in management’s court.
"Unilever should therefore not take this as a green light to
force through changes that will rob ordinary working people of
thousands of pounds a year while the company continues to rake in
billions in profits every year.
"The ink is barely dry on the PM's speech on `moral
capitalism'. Unilever’s reaction to this dispute is a test of
whether fat-cat corporates do pay any heed to a public sickened by
corporate greed."
ENDS
For further information please call Pauline Doyle on 07976 832
861
