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26 February, 2007
A ballot taken by UK’s Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) among Imerys workers in the South West has failed to gain the necessary majority. But the country’s second largest private sector union has vowed to continue to press the French multinational for a fair redundancy package for 600 former English China Clay workers in Cornwall.
TGWU represents nearly 1,000 of the 2,100 Imerys kaolin mining and processing workers in the region. The industrial ballot, over the company’s inferior severance package for workers to be made redundant late this year, was sent out on 7 February and counted late last week.
“Our members have decided not to take any industrial action,” stated TGWU National Secretary Jennie Formby. “There were significant numbers of people who voted for action short of strike and for strike action.
“While we’re aware that those who wanted to fight back will be very disappointed, we understand the huge pressure members have been under after the misinformation and propaganda campaign (Imerys) has been waging over the course of the ballot. Members are also under great pressure as they face the loss of their jobs.
“We will continue to do everything we can at home and internationally to ensure workers get a fair deal from this immensely wealthy company.”
Formby commended trade unions in the US and Europe for lending support and aid to the TGWU in its campaign against Imerys. She particularly singled out Serge Gonzales from the French trade union Fédération Force Ouvrière (FO) Matériaux, Céramique et Thermique, who is also secretary of Imerys’ European Works Council. “He took every opportunity to put pressure on the company, and for this we are truly thankful,” Formby said.
French FO's Serge Gonzales
“We know this is not the end of the struggle against Imerys, both in the UK and everywhere it operates,” she added. “We will, of course, do all we can to continue to support our members in Imerys UK in our efforts to get fairness.”
The ICEM maintains that Imerys could and should do much better in the redundancy packages offered to the 600 workers who face joblessness later this year. Imerys, one of the world’s biggest and most profitable building materials companies, will fail in its social obligations to the people of the South West, ICEM believes, unless it improves the severance packages.