Vion workers to take further action over pay

Workers at Cambuslang meat processing giant Vion will intensify industrial action against their employer over a long-running pay dispute.

Following a day of industrial action on 20 February, Unite members have served notice to management of their intention to take two further twenty-four hour strikes on the 8th and 12th of March. An overtime ban and work-to-rule provisions will also be undertaken by the workforce.

The dispute has escalated with Vion since October 2011 following the rejection of a 2% pay increase offer plus changes to holiday entitlement. At the same time UK media outlets reported that VION’s UK business operations had tripled its profits from 2010.

Unite Convenor at Vion, Scot Walker, said, “A 2% increase in today’s financial climate is a pay cut in real terms. This comes on the back of a similar offer in 2010 and a pay freeze in 2009. If you keep pushing workers like this they are going to push back.

“We are not talking about workers on big time money here, the basic wage is less than £7 per hour, but we are talking about a global corporation with an €8.9 billion turnover – the 4th largest meat processor in the world.

“The workforce has been left with no option, we have even been to ACAS [Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service] to try and get a resolution but the company refused to budge.  We hope Vion will reconsider but they should know that we are prepared to dig-in for the long haul.”