Unilever is starving its 7,000 workers of a decent pension,
says Unite
4 July 2011
Workers protest against pension closure at Unilever
sponsored event, Tuesday, 5 July, 5.30 pm, London
Unilever workers from across UK sites will
take their pension battle to London tomorrow (Tuesday) to the
Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner,
sponsored by Unilever - Company of the Year 2010 -to urge leading
businesses to give their backing to the campaign to halt the food
and household giant’s plans to scrap their pension scheme.
The workers, all members of Unite, are
descending on The Royal Albert Hall in
Londonon Tuesday, 5 July at
5.30 pm, where the event is being held, to
highlight that Unilever – with turnover up 11% and profits up 26%
to 6.3 billion euros in 2010 – pension plans are unnecessary and
are a betrayal to its loyal workforce.
Unite says Unilever’s Corporate Purpose states
that to succeed requires “the highest standards of corporate
behaviour towards everyone we work with, the communities we touch
and the environment we have an impact.” Unilever plans to deprive
thousands of staff of the retirement income - there is clearly
something wrong with how Unilever is following its corporate
responsibility.
Unite is urging Unilever, whose products
include Pot Noodle, Flora, Marmite, Hellman's Mayonnaise, PG Tips,
Surf, Domestos, Comfort, Dove, to seriously reconsider its pension
plans that workers have saved for and been promised.
On Tuesday, workers will be aided with a giant
“Pot Nothing” to draw attention to Unilever’s empty promises.
Workers will also be waving placards saying “Unilever ate my
pensions” and “Hands off our pensions” and handing out leaflets
asking people to support the campaign to save their pensions.
Speaking ahead of the event Unite national
officer, Jennie Formby, said: “Our
members want to voice their anger at Unilever’s behaviour towards
its employees.
“If Unilever care so much about their staff
and the communities they live in why are they attacking a decent
pension scheme that will destroy the retirement plans of 7,000
workers? This attack on the pension is just greed by Unilever and
in fact they've told us themselves this is driven by global policy,
and there is no financial imperative driving the change so it isn't
necessary for them to do anything.
“Our members have lost all trust in Unilever
management; three years ago they closed the final salary pension
scheme to new members, instead offering an inferior CARE
scheme. At the time they promised this would keep the final
salary scheme secure for its existing members. Yet this global
giant remains determined to turn its back on its long
serving workforce and is not only proposing to close the final
salary scheme but is also attacking the benefits of the CARE scheme
so that our members stand to lose thousands of pounds each year,
with some losing over 30% of their expected pension.
“Our message to Unilever is clear: fancy
dinners and big ticket sponsorship cannot disguise rogue behaviour.
Your plans will destroy workers' pensions and their families’
future. Scrap them now – we will fight these plans all the way
until these changes are stopped.”
Unilever plans to transfer current members to
the inferior Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme that
was setup in 2008 for all new starters, but which these
proposals would worsen, with effect from 1 January, 2012,
-ENDS-
For further information please contact Unite
communications officer, Karen Viquerat on 07768 931 316.
