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5 November, 2007ICEM Gives Strong Backing to Stora Enso Workers
Re: Stora Enso’s Latest Announced Restructuring
To: Jouko Ahonen, President, Paperiliitto and Chairman, ICEM Pulp and Paper Sector
Jan-Henrik Sandberg, President, Svenska Pappers
Aila Seppälä, Secretary to the President, Paperiliitto
Kari Miettinen, Paperiliitto Chief Shop Steward, Imatra, and EWC Member
Allan Yrjönen, Paperiliitto Local 18 President, Summa
Erkki Sivosuo, Paperiliitto Local 84 President, Kemijärvi
Harri Helminen, Paperiliitto Local 15 President,Inkeroinen
Jukka Rimo, Paperiliitto Local 17 President, Kotka
The ICEM, which counts Paperiliitto and Svenska Pappers as important and dedicated affiliates, is extremely disappointed by the manner in which Stora Enso announced its recent retrenchments. The company’s staff, through your trade unions, has done much, mill by mill, to find ways to cut costs relevant to producing pulp and paper for world consumption, and for Stora Enso to reward this with a further and unilateral restructuring plan is insulting.
We think it shameful that this company suddenly announces that job futures for 1,700 people and families are gone, and then predicts that another 650 jobs (at Kotka) may be next. We understand the mills targeted are profit-making enterprises, so we do not understand the company’s logic.
Please know that the 20-million-member strong ICEM will ensure that Stora’s disdain for honest dialogue is shared with all our affiliated trade unions, and the upcoming sequence of events will be made known inside pulp and paper mills worldwide.
The strike actions in Finland recently sent a strong message. We must and we will unite to make this company justify what it is doing. The ICEM family of unions fully supports you in making Stora Enso honour its social obligations in meaningful dialogue. We will do whatever is necessary.
Please pass this message to all Stora Enso employees in your affected mills, and remember: you have great strength in your respected trade unions, and the ICEM will ensure that this strength becomes a chain of strength between yourselves and all paperworkers in the world.
Fraternally,
Manfred Warda
General Secretary