Unite anger over Unilever betrayal - plans to close final salary pension scheme for 5,000 workers

10 May 2011

Workers' protest lobby outside Unilever AGM
Date: Wednesday 11 May at 10.15 – 11.15am
Venue: Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QE2), Westminster, London

Workers from Unilever plants from across the UK will protest outside the company's AGM tomorrow (Wednesday) over plans to scrap its final salary pension scheme. Closure of the scheme will devastate the retirement plans for 5,000 workers.

Unite has slammed this attack on their pension as a betrayal to its loyal workforce. Unilever promised to make the scheme safe for its existing members when it closed the final salary pension scheme to new members in 2008. Yet the company is now reneging on its promise by seeking to close the scheme to its existing workers and transfer current members to the inferior CARE scheme with effect from 1 January 2012.

Unite members who have worked so hard to build up the UK global company - which is behind household brands such as Comfort, Surf, Domestos, Marmite, Pot Noodle, Hellman's mayonnaise and Dove - want Unilever to listen to its long-serving workforce and put a stop to these pension changes that will destroy their retirements. Unite says Unilever is a successful global company and can afford to pay workers what they have saved for and what they were promised.

Speaking ahead of the protest Unite national officer, Jennie Formby, said: “Workers are horrified by Unilever's attack on their pension. These changes will make a massive difference to workers' retirements – one worker has already estimated he will lose a massive £150,000 if he lives for just 15 years after he retires!

“This attack is just greed by Unilever. Shutting down a decent pension scheme will wash the retirement plans of 5,000 workers down the drain. This is absolutely and fundamentally wrong – and they deserve better.

“Our members are rightly angry over Unilever's betrayal and they will not back down until these changes are stopped. Unilever must understand – the company is not going to get away with this without a fight.”

Unite has vowed to do everything in its power to resist the changes.

Unite representatives from Unilever sites including Purfleet (Essex), Port Sunlight (Wirral), Warrington (Cheshire), Leeds, Crumlin (Wales), Gloucester, Manchester and Norwich will be making their voices heard outside the AGM Meeting being held at the QE2 Centre in London from 10.15am. They will be waving placards stating 'Unilever – hands off our pensions' and handing out leaflets.

Notes:

Unite has 1,600 members across UK Unilever plants; Usdaw has 460 members; and GMB has 170 members.

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