Unilever strike action – 100 per cent solid
19 January 2012
Strike fund launched to support workers and
their families
Unilever workers fighting to defend their pension scheme staged
rock-solid strike action across UK sites – Warrington, Norwich,
Purfleet, St David’s Park, Colworth and Port Sunlight
yesterday.
The stoppages halted production of leading food and cleaning
products including Colman’s mustard, Marmite, I can’t believe it’s
not butter and Persil.
As news spreads of Unilever CEO’s Paul Polman’s dirty treatment
of his workforce, hundreds of messages of support are flooding in
for strikers from across the globe. Unite has launched a
strike fund to raise money for the striking workers and their
families.
Unilever's changes will not affect management pensions but will
cut workers' savings by between 20 and 40 per cent; one worker
estimates that she will be worse off by £7,000 a year when she
retires if Unilever pushes ahead with its plans to ditch the final
salary pension scheme.
Workers from Purfleet, Trafford Park and Warrington are taking
strike action today (Thursday 19 January). This will be
followed by further stoppages across various sites with action
concluding at 24:00 hours on Saturday 28 January, 2012.
Unite national officer Jennie Formby said: “The solid support
for this strike is a clear message to Unilever that our members are
not prepared to be treated like dirt.
“Unilever’s wall of silence is making them angrier by the day
and, if anything, more determined to continue their fight back –
not just with further strikes, but by escalating our campaign of
demonstrations.
“It is now our second day of this ten-day strike action and
workers, with strong public support and messages of solidarity
coming in daily, are standing firm and will not be bullied into
accepting these changes.
“We are ready and willing to meet with Unilever to discuss
solutions to the dispute.”
Unite released a film ’Unilever - not as clean as it claims’
yesterday (Tuesday 17 January) revealing the truth behind the
’dirty’ tactics being used to undermine the pensions of the
workforce. The film can be viewed on the Unite website or on
YouTube at http://youtu.be/33Theeovq1c.
Unite is urging viewers to send a simple message to CEO Paul
Polman, which is: "It is time for you to talk."
ENDS
For further information please contact Karen Viquerat on 07768
931 316 or Jennie Formby on 07702 206 436.
Donations to strike fund: The address to send the cheques made
payable to ‘Unite the Union – Unilever’ strike fund is Unite the
Union (Jennie Formby), 128 Theobald’s Road, Holborn, London WC1X
8TN.
Notes to editors:
Unite members will join picket lines at UK Unilever sites:
Warrington Factory – Persil, Omo
2
Liverpool Road,
Warrington,
Cheshire, WA5 1AA
Time:
Commencing at 06:00 hours on Wednesday 18 January 2012
Concluding at 05:59 hours on Friday 20 January 2012
Purfleet Factory – Hellmann’s mayonnaise, I can’t
believe it’s not butter; Flora London
Road,
Purfleet,
Essex, RM19 1SD
Time:
Commencing at 07:00 hours on Thursday 19 January 2012
Concluding at 06:59 hours on Friday 20 January 2012
Commencing at 07:00 hours on Friday 20 January 2012
Concluding at 06:59 hours on Saturday 21 January 2012
Commencing at 07:00 hours on Monday 23 January 2012
Concluding at 06:59 hours on Tuesday 24 January 2012
Trafford Park Factory – PG Tips tea
Trafford Park Road,
Trafford Park,
Manchester, M17 1NH
Time:
Commencing at 21:50 hours on Thursday 19 January 2012
Concluding at 20:49 hours on Friday 20 January 2012
Commencing at 06:50 hours on Sunday 22 January 2012
Concluding at 18:49 hours on Sunday 22 January 2012
Port Sunlight Factory – Fabric – Comfort,
Persil
Port Sunlight,
Wirral,
Merseyside, CH62 4ZD
Time:
Commencing at 18:00 hours on Friday 20 January 2012
Concluding at 17:59 hours on Saturday 21 January 2012
Leeds Factory – Dove Deodorant, Lynx,
Sure
Coal Road,
Seacroft,
Leeds, LS14 2AR
Time:
Commencing at 18:00 hours on Friday 20 January 2012
Concluding at 17:59 hours Saturday 21 January 2012
Gloucester Factory – Wall’s Ice Cream
Corinium Avenue,
Barnwood,
Gloucester, GL4 3BW
Time:
Commencing at 06:30 hours on Wednesday 25 January 2012
Concluding at 06:29 hours on Thursday 26 January 2012
Crumlin Factory – Pot Noodle
Croespenmaen Industrial Estate,
Crumlin,
Gwent, NP11 3AG
Time:
Commencing at 06:00 hours on Thursday 26 January 2012
Concluding at 06:00 hours on Friday 27 January
2012
Commencing at 06:00 hours on Saturday 28 January 2012
Concluding at 23:59 hours on Saturday 28 January
2012
Burton Factory – Marmite
Wellington
Road,
Burton-on-Trent,
Staffordshire, DE14 2AB
Time:
Commencing at 05:00 hours on Wednesday 25 January 2012
Concluding at 04:59 hours on Thursday 26 January 2012
