Unilever's European workers join UK workers to say “Unilever, hands
off our pensions!”
6 December 2011
WHEN: Thursday 8 December 2011 at 11.00am
WHERE: Unilever Port Sunlight, Wirral,
Merseyside
Hermann Soggeberg, chairman of Unilever’s European Works Council
(UEWC) will join colleagues this week to deliver a massive signed
declaration of solidarity to Unilever management at Port Sunlight
demanding that the company stops its plans to scrap the UK pension
scheme for its loyal 7,000-strong workforce.
This declaration sends a clear message to Unilever that the UEWC
will not support any proposals where employees stand to lose
thousands of pounds of their retirement income, and will vigorously
support UK colleagues in their campaign "Unilever, hands of our
pensions" to protect their pension entitlement.
Unite is urging Unilever, the global giant whose products
include Persil, Flora, Marmite and Dove, to return to serious
negotiations with Unite, the lead union at Unilever, together with
Usdaw and GMB who also represent workers - and ensure justice for
its UK workforce.
Jennie Formby, Unite national officer, said: “Unilever workers
in Europe are standing in solidarity with UK colleagues who are
fighting back against this unacceptable attack on our members’
pensions and demand that Unilever ends its plans to close the final
salary pension scheme.
“UEWC’s strong message of support is invaluable this week as UK
workers prepare across 12 sites for their first ever national
strike on Friday 9 December.
“The solidarity statement that they will hand over to management
at the historic Port Sunlight site shows that UK workers are not
alone in this battle to save their pension.
“Lord Leverhulme – Unilever’s founder – fought over a century
ago to enhance workers’ pension rights. The action of the current
board spits in the face of everything their founder stood for.
Unite and the UEWC will not stand back and watch our members hard
worked for pensions be reduced by this now greedy company.
“Unite believes the current Unilever pension scheme is
sustainable and strong, and that Unilever wants to make these
changes purely to increase profits and maximise returns to
shareholders and ‘fat cat’ executives. Unilever’s chief executive,
Paul Polman, received shares worth £1,069,986 last month!
“It’s not too late for Unilever to return to negotiations to
give our members what they deserve and, more importantly, what Lord
Leverhulme would have demanded.”
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 July 2012.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
View a copy of the
Solidarity Declaration
Unite represents 1,700 workers at Unilever sites including:
Purfleet (Essex); Port Sunlight (Wirral); Warrington (Cheshire);
Leeds; Crumlin (Wales); Gloucester; Manchester; Burton-on-Trent
(Staffordshire); Research & Development, Port Sunlight;
Research & Development, Colworth (Bedford); IT, St. David’s
Park, Chester.
Around 650 Usdaw and GMB members at Unilever will also be taking
part in strike action
For more information, please contact Jennie Formby on 07702 206
436 or Karen Viquerat, Unite communications officer, on 07768
931316.
