Unite members at SAICA Packaging UK based at Edinburgh and Milngavie will begin an official overtime ban tomorrow (Sunday 14 March) with 24-hour stoppages to follow each Wednesday from 17 March 2021.  

The industrial action follows a decision by the company to detrimentally vary the contracts of Unite members as they relocate to the new Livingston site in 2022. SAICA are extending the working week and introducing a banked hour’s agreement. 

The substantive terms and conditions are currently contained within a national agreement that Unite holds with the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) that SAICA was a signatory to for all its UK Corrugated sites up until last month when they served 6 months’ notice.  The changes being proposed in Scotland are outside the national agreement and could undermine the terms and conditions across other UK sites.

Norman King, Unite regional officer, said: “Unite members at the Edinburgh and Milngavie sites have had new contracts put in front of them this week. SAICA workers are required to sign up by end of play on March 16 on the eve of the action which is a blatant threat to our members’ job security should they choose not to sign at this time.”

Unite National Officer, Louisa Bull, stated that while the dispute may currently be in Scotland it has potential ramifications across the UK: “We have a national consultative ballot out at this time as members across SAICA UK are concerned with the timing of the notice to withdraw from our national agreement and they may wish to take similar action to those colleagues in Scotland.  Along with our sister trade unions we value our national agreement as it not only settles pay each year but it protects the terms and conditions of our members who now fear that they are under attack.”

ENDS