Around 1,000 workers had voted for strike action at the Holton and Great Witchingham plants in Norfolk and Suffolk. The strike was due to go ahead last Monday (19th July). However, in the face of this proposed action, their bosses at the giant Bernard Matthews Turkey corporation instead suddenly withdrawn its plans to change shift patterns and extend the working week from four days to five. The workers have shown that being organised in a Trades Union can win real results. There actions have now won a withdrawal of the shift changes, a 3 percent pay rise and a 1 percent increase in pensions.
The proposed action by had been billed by the TGWU as a 'family friendly strike'. AS Peter Medhurst, T&G regional industrial organiser said:
“We made it clear from the outset that people who work a four-day week wanted to keep it that way. They voted in overwhelming numbers to keep their shift as it suited their family circumstances and working preferences. But senior management seemed intent on riding roughshod over them" He added how people were fed up. When we confirmed the strike action morale went up.”
"It has taken a long time but we feel vindicated in the stand we have taken for our members and the rest of the workforce. Our key aim throughout this long drawn out affair was to see the shift changes scrapped. We have achieved that key aim and won a pay and pension rise. We have fought back and we have made real progress for the T&G. This will affect all the staff so we'll be encouraging all the staff to join the union to strengthen our hand in the future."
See also: www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/News.asp?NodeID=90952&int1stParentNodeID=89396&int2ndParentNodeID=
Originally posted on www.easf.org.uk on Tue 27th July, 2004 by resistanceisbootifull!
“We made it clear from the outset that people who work a four-day week wanted to keep it that way. They voted in overwhelming numbers to keep their shift as it suited their family circumstances and working preferences. But senior management seemed intent on riding roughshod over them" He added how people were fed up. When we confirmed the strike action morale went up.”
"It has taken a long time but we feel vindicated in the stand we have taken for our members and the rest of the workforce. Our key aim throughout this long drawn out affair was to see the shift changes scrapped. We have achieved that key aim and won a pay and pension rise. We have fought back and we have made real progress for the T&G. This will affect all the staff so we'll be encouraging all the staff to join the union to strengthen our hand in the future."
See also: www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/News.asp?NodeID=90952&int1stParentNodeID=89396&int2ndParentNodeID=
Originally posted on www.easf.org.uk on Tue 27th July, 2004 by resistanceisbootifull!