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20 March, 2006
ICEM affiliate AMICUS of the UK has issued formal notice to International Paper at its Inverurie Mill in Scotland that industrial action is imminent if the company doesn’t immediately amend a pay proposal. The union at the 400-worker printing and writing papers mill voted by four-to-one for industrial action, and notice of a four-hour work stoppage set for 23 March was sent to management.
Bosses at the American company are demanding that paperworkers take a pay freeze in 2006, and receive a small, one-off payment in 2007. Workers responded with the resounding strike vote, calling a freeze an “insult.” Over two consecutive years in the recent past, Inverurie paperworkers had three percent deductions weekly taken from their earnings to fill a pension gap.
One Amicus leader told a local newspaper after the 10 March strike vote that if bosses had their way, “we would be chasing inflation forever.” The union said the paper industry federation in the UK has made pay increases of 2.5% in 2006.