Sunday 27th April 2008: a red and white Unite
flag hung out of a window of the union office. More
banners and placards were held by the pickets, their bright
orange overalls clashing with yellow fluorescent vests as they gathered for their
rally.
Mark Lyon (Unite Convenor) welcomed around 200 striking
members, some with babes in arms, saying it was the families that had
to bear the brunt of the action. Mark also thanked friends attending and
looked for further support. Mark said “union members have never seen the likes
of this action at Grangemouth. Since Jim Ratcliffe (on behalf of Ineos) took over,
there have been planned closures, including of the Research
facility.” There had been
“fraught negotiations with BP,” the previous owners, but now there was the “disgraceful scene” of being forced out on strike. Mark “applauded the lengths taken by our members to
safeguard their pensions and retirement benefits. The pension scheme is in surplus, with
little liability”.
“The good people of
Scotland would be devastated by the effects of the strike, but
the blame lies fairly and squarely on owners Ineos and “could
be afforded by this
immensely profitable business. This is a stand against all
employers up and down the
country. Every worker is entitled to a dignified and secure
retirement, a secure home
and a little bit of luxury in their old age.”
”What is the truth a of the earnings of £60,000 a year? A shift worker on basic pay
plus anti-social hours payments and working 500 hours
overtime a year might
manage to get
thousands of pounds.” The £60,000
claim “is a smear campaign
against our members, an absolute and utter disgrace. What
are the retirement plans of
Jim Ratcliffe?”
Strikers were aware that the billionaire
owner of Ineos had been
named that morning in the ‘Sunday Times Rich List’.
“Our members insisted on keeping full safety cover so
production could restart
Quickly, and to
reduce the inconvenience to the public. No payment would be
given for this work, but I call on Ineos to put that money
towards our pension
scheme.”
“Not one pensioner, hospital or emergency service would be
without fuel” as
members would make sure of supplies “A cargo to the Highlands and Islands had
been loaded that morning in the docks. The honest,
hardworking and thoroughly
decent members had been forced to make this stand.There was
no way they would
give in. Not now, not ever.”
Linlithgow and Falkirk East Labour MP Michael Connarty knew
the workers are
“responsible and level headed” . From his students days as a
cleaner in the plant to the
many meetings with them over his sixteen years as a local MP. “Restructuring had
reduced the workforce from 3,500 to1,500 permanent employees
now. The company
are telling lies on the pension,” Michael said and explained
“the Scottish Affairs
Select Committee had asked about the takeover by Ineos”. At
the time
Jim Ratcliffe had asked to meet him. This took place in the
plush Pugin Room of the
House of Commons. He had been told how Ineos
“were great employees and the company was safe in his hands”. Where are you
hiding now Jim?” Michael called. “Why not come and see me now?”
“What is this all about? What is the other agenda?” to the
workers Michael said, “the
pension is your share in the
wealth you create and
your product brings in revenue for the Government.”
To cheers Michael finished saying the workers must not lose.”
Somebody had to
have the guts to take on these companies, not allow them to
get away with it. Back off
Jim, let them have the pension.
Cathie Peattie, Falkirk East Member of the Scottish
Parliament, had been brought up
in Grangemouth and the trade union movement. She was “appalled
at the
treatment “of the workers and had “asked Alec Salmond (Nationalist First Minister
of the Scottish Government) to come out in support of them.”
“Jim Ratcliffe is
holding the country to ransom, but we will win.”
Pat Rafferty, Senior Industrial relations Officer for the
T&GWU (Unite)
congratulated the “brilliant campaign of the Shop Stewards”
and condemned the
company’s attacks on individuals, who he was proud to be working
with.
The employers were welcome to invest and the Union would
work with them for secure employment, but “attack our member’s terms and
conditions and there would
be a bitter battle to defend them, and we will win it !”
Senior Convenor Steven Deans expresses thanks “for this
heartening visible show
of support. 800 workers had told Jim Ratcliffe to get your
hands out of our pockets,
and off our family’s future. He has £3.3billion in a bank
for himself, yet wants to steal
money for himself off working people”
“We are all in this together, whether you work on the tools
or in offices. We do not
want to be on strike and for the good people of Scotland, we
are restricting he action
which also affects us and our families. This action was a
last resort and taken with a
heavy heart. ”We will meet day or night for discussion with
Ineos. Yes, we would
be delighted to make it a better place to work for both
union members and the
company, but don’t touch our pension. There was a sham
consultation lasting over
eight months and no significant proposals presented at during the conciliation
meetings at ACAS.”
“Ineos has hit out at our members, that’s the truth, but
we’ll sit down with them at
any time. We will also, continue safety work and fuel would
go to those who
need it in all life critical situations. We will win!”
