Workers at Unilever have ushered in the new year with a series of strikes to protect their pension fund against changes that would see their pensions drop by between 20 and 40 per cent.
The rolling strikes went from Purfleet in Essex to Trafford Park in Manchester, Port Sunlight on the Wirral to Barnwood in Gloucester, Crumlin in Gwent to Warrington, Cheshire, and from Leeds to Norwich. Action began in December with 2,500 workers, members of USDAW and Unite, striking across the country.
The strikes have hit brands such as Dove, Marmite, PG Tips, Pot Noodle and Hellman’s. Unilever’s billion-euro brand Lipton Tea, however, is outsourced to Pakistan and the teabags are made by agency staff: not a single directly employed worker is involved in their production. ■