Iggesund workers poised for strike action

Unite members at the Iggesund papermill in Workington are poised for strike action over the way bosses have handled proposed redundancies.

Unite union members at Iggesund Paperboard, Siddick, met on Monday and decided to ballot on industrial action.

It comes after attempts by the union to negotiate with the company failed, and the union said Iggesund bosses refused to follow dispute procedures.

Workers are also angry at company plans to use part of a bonus budget intended to reward staff, to fund the £1 million to £1.5 million cost of making up to 100 people redundant.

The company, which the union said employed 484 people, announced in late September that it will axe the jobs when it closes one of its two board machines at the plant at the end of the year.

It blamed a weak paper market for the move.

Unite officials immediately tried to negotiate with the company to minimise compulsory redundancies, but Unite regional officer Eddie Irvine claimed the company had been hostile from the start and had refused to follow procedures outlined in a national agreement between Unite and the Confederation of Paper Industries.

Eddie said: “We had to fight to get the company to involve the union. They weren’t listening to anything we said and were paying lip service really.

“Our objective was to achieve these redundancies through voluntary means. The company have offered the worst redundancy terms in Iggesund’s history, which are just slightly above statutory minimum.

“Our members’ view is therefore that we are going to be potentially faced with compulsory redundancy. We are not going to accept that situation without the required consultation.”

Mr Irvine said that, as the company and the union had failed to reach an agreement, procedure says that a conference should be held with National Officer Peter Ellis.

But the company has told Unite that it has made its best and final offer on redundancy terms and there would be no point holding a conference.

Mr Irvine said: “There doesn’t seem to be any effort on their side to reach any amicable solution and they’re just pressing ahead so it’s left us with no option really. To add insult to injury they’re actually using our members’ money to fund the redundancies.

“Members were adamant at this week’s meeting and the previous two meetings that they’re not prepared to accept imposition.”

He added: “Nobody wants to be in this position but equally it would appear that there isn’t an alternative to get the company to sit down and talk with us.”