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23 February, 2009
Last week, on 17 February, US-based International Paper Co. announced closure of its Inverurie mill following a 90-day consultation period with ICEM UK affiliate Unite the Union. The closure of the Aberdeenshire, Scotland, mill will happen at the end of March, and will cost 371 paperworkers their jobs.
However, Unite and local politicians, during the mandatory consultation period, did find potential buyers for Britain’s last uncoated freesheet paper mill. But International Paper (IP) refused to even consider selling the mill.
Unite Assistant General Secretary Tony Burke said it was IP’s intention all along to close the site and replace British paper production with paper made elsewhere.
That also is the position of a former owner of the mill, Thomas Tait, whose family began papermaking in the village of Inverurie in 1852. Tait, who sold the mill to another American paper company in 1987, told an Aberdeen newspaper late last week that IP received an offer from another paper manufacturer that could have saved the jobs, and perhaps even created more job opportunities.
“I know they were not willing to sell to another paper-making operation which made an offer,” said Tait, who also told the Aberdeen Evening Express he had been involved three times in various plans to re-purchase the mill. “It was an absolutely straightforward ‘No,’ no discussion whatsoever.” Tait said the Inverurie example should be used for a change in British legislation, mandating a sale to occur when a buyer intends to produce the same or a similar product.
Meanwhile, IP presented Unite and Scottish paperworkers with an inferior redundancy package, pay and benefits and job retraining that the union would not consider bringing to union members. Talks on that issue between Unite and IP will continue this week.
“International Paper is one of the biggest paper-making companies in the world and can afford to pay decent severance terms given the loyalty and dedication of our members,” stated Burke.