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ActionAlert

Unite

Recent weeks have seen Unite firmly in

the glaring headlights of the Tory press- fed by Conservave Central Office andowned like much of Britain today, by asmall elite of wealthy people.

Ignoring the central role of our union in

represenng millions of working people and our

role in the everyday success of manufacturing

giants such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and General

Motors, Rolls Royce and at Airbus - the work we

do in securing investment that supports thousands

of decent, well paid and secure union jobs acrossour economy, exposing the illegal acvies of the

Blacklisters in construcon or loan sharks preying

on the vulnerable within our communies - the

naons journalists swept into the town of

Grangemouth in Scotland, home of Ineos and their

giant petrochemical refinery.

Despite the media hysteria however, Grangemouth

was at the centre of an industrial dispute: no more,

no less.

A dispute firstly over the company suspension and

disciplinary invesgaon of their convenor, Stevie

Deans and subsequently, proposals by the

company to change terms and condions at the

site including; a pay freeze, the closure of their finalsalary pension scheme, changes to shi payments

and holiday entlement.

Despite this, at no me were our members actually

on strike, it was not strike acon that closed theIneos facility.

When our members sought a negoated agreement

with their union, Ineos announced the closure of

the petrochemical side of the business with the

threatened loss of 800 direct and 2000 indirect jobs.

At all mes at Grangemouth, as in all industrial

disputes, Unite has been rightly guided by the

wishes of our members at the sharp end and in

the face of plant closure and an on-going threat to

the adjoining refinery, our members rightlydecided that the future of the site was their

immediate priority.

Negoaons will now connue between the

company and the union on the future of the

Grangemouth plants and the terms and condions

of our members.

WHILST THE STAKES MAY HAVE BEEN HIGH AT

GRANGEMOUTH, THE ISSUES INVOLVED WERE

NO DIFFERENT TO THOSE IN MANY DISPUTESINVOLVING TRADE UNION MEMBERS IN SECTORS

ACROSS OUR ECONOMY.

Keeping you up to date and informed. Supporting our members f ight ing b ckwww.unitetheunion.org

OUR PRIORITY AS ALWAYS, IS

STANDING UP FOR OUR MEMBERS!

I went to Scotland last week to savethousands of jobs .... to keep a vitalnaonal asset open in the face of

closure. I applaud our team on theground for also fighng to maintainthe pay and condions of the peoplewho pay thier union dues .... thatswhat trade unions do Len McCluskey

In a crisis situaon Unites priority is

not protecng the reputaons of the

powerful, but protecng the vicms of

the exercise of that power - thats theright priority and why we exist!

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