News

Unite members at United Closures & Plastics (UCP) held a 24-hour strike this week over changes to their pay and working hours. 150 members at the Stirling based packaging site staff went on strike after no agreement was reached during a consultation period.According UCP, prints and manufactures packaging for the drinks industry, has increased employees’ contracted hours by five hours per week for no extra pay. The chapel said that the new contracts were due to come into effect from 29 August. Norman King, Unite Regional Officer said that strike action was ongoing, with the next planned for 29 June.

Norman King said: “The staff are striking over a change in working priorities after no agreement was made at the end of a consultation period. It means that staff will be expected to work longer for less money. Some staff will also be £27 a week worse off.”

He added that other detrimental changes included changes to sick pay and holiday entitlement, and that UCP had taken out a court injunction to try to stop the strike.

King said the Court of Session in Edinburgh, which rejected a bid by the company to get an injunction against Unite awarded costs against the company, and gave the union the right to go ahead with the strike.