Big hearted Heinz workers put kids first this Christmas
13 December 2010
£511 raised for local kids' hospice
Big-hearted workers at Heinz's flagship Kitt Green plant in
Wigan have taken matters into their own hands to ensure that sick
children do not miss out on Christmas this year.
The workers, members of Unite the union, are angry that Heinz's
management may be using the current pay dispute to avoid their
usual bucket collection for the local children's hospice and
stepped in to organise their own collection for the children and
their families. The collection, held at last weekend's mass
meeting where there was unanimous agreement to carry on
supporting the kids, saw the workers raise more for the hospice
than ever before.
Unite said the workers' generosity is in sharp contrast to their
employer's Scrooge-like behaviour. In under 48 hours, the
workers' collection has made £511 but is set to increase much
further and other good causes locally are set to benefit too
because the generous workers have also vowed to donate their first
strike pay, worth £30 for every worker, to a number of other local
charities.
The strike pay donation is set to boost the collection further
when the first full day of strike action takes place. Workers
are set to walk out from 21.50hrs on Thursday 15 December to
21.50pm on Friday 16 December causing millions of cans of beans and
soup to be lost from production.
The strike has come about because of the company's refusal to
budge on its below inflation pay offer for two consecutive years,
effectively seeing the value of the workers' wages roll backwards
while the cost of living, including the VAT rise in January 2011
and escalating fuel and food costs, continues upwards. Heinz
recently saw its profits jump by around 9 per cent and 10 per cent
dividends to shareholders - further fuelling the workers' fury at
the company's tight-fistedness.
Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for food and drink, said:
"The Heinz workers are amazing. They understand the true
spirit of Christmas and are stepping in where Heinz has failed
because they do not want these kids to miss out at
all.
"Despite the mud being slung at them by their employers, these
workers are showing their integrity by making sure that they
continue to support children in need.
"We are immensely proud of these workers and the steps they have
taken to make sure their usual donation is not just made but
bettered. Any other employer would be proud to have a
workforce of this calibre. Heinz needs to get its nose out of
the accountancy books and start appreciating the value of what it
has, which is an amazing workforce at Wigan."
Traditionally the Kitt Green workers pay for the "free"
Christmas lunch at work through donations but the company did not
organise the collection this year, allegedly because of an ‘error’,
claiming that they will make a donation instead.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Ian Wright, acting
convenor, on 07716 375488
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