Thousands of employees are protesting proposed changes to pensions by striking over the next 11 days. Unilever produces Marmite, Flora, Wall’s ice cream, Persil, PG Tips, Pot Noodle and Lynx, among others.
Factories across the country will be effectively shut down by the industrial action.
The Unite union’s national officer, Jennie Formby, said: “The hardworking workforce made Unilever into the global giant it is today but consumers will soon know the company better for its greedy pensions snatch than its products.”
And Allan Black, national officer of the GMB union, added: “Unilever can afford to sustain the current pension scheme unchanged due to the profitability of the company. The unions are able to put forward constructive alternative proposals on pensions, but these have never been considered by Unilever.”
However, Unilever looks unlikely to cave to workers’ demands, which means you might want to stock up on Pot Noodle and Persil if you’re going to see the month through.
The company said: “The reality is that the union representatives had multiple opportunities to help shape the greatly improved final outcome of consultation we reached in October, but unfortunately they decided to walk away from talks.
“Making these changes was a tough but necessary choice which reflects the realities of rising life expectancy and increased market volatility.”
Breakfast without PG Tips and Marmite? It’s a national catastrophe. We can only pray that this dispute is resolved soon.
