UK’s Amicus union triumphs in International Paper
settlement
26 April 2006
Paperworkers at International Paper (IP)
Co.’s Inverurie Mill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, voted by a
three-to-one margin to accept a new two-year accord. The vote is a
union victory, preventing the US-based paper giant from imposing
harsh and unnecessary contract measures.
ICEM (ICEM is the International Federation of
Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions) affiliate
Amicus, which successfully negotiated the agreement, credited the
solid resolve of workers at the printing and writing papers mill,
as well as ICEM’s IP Global Workers’ Network with the win.
After a series of industrial actions, which included four
4-hour strikes from 23 March to 6 April, International Paper moved
from a pay freeze to agreeing to 2% wage increases, both in 2006
and 2007. The company also backed away from a proposal, inserted
late into the negotiations, to only grant the 2% pay hike after
workers ratified the agreement, with the 2007 raise kicking in a
year later. Amicus succeeded in getting the 2006 pay raise
backdated to the standard 1 January, with another 2% awarded on 1
January 2007.
Amicus Assistant General Secretary, Tony Burke, said: “Our
membership did a magnificent job in standing up to one of the
biggest pulp and paper groups in the world. We had instant
solidarity throughout the world, not only from unions at other
International Paper mills, but from paperworkers’ unions
everywhere.”
Tony Burke added that the Inverurie Mill workers were
“energised” by such support, and that the industrial actions carved
“fierce resistance” among workers, with 40 more workers electing to
join the union during the dispute.
International Paper agreed to the non-concessionary terms on
11 April, two days before workers were set to escalate the dispute
into an 8-hour strike. The vote was counted by Amicus in
Aberdeenshire today.
Throughout the month-long industrial dispute, Amicus was
publicly calling for outside mediation to bring the two parties
together but IP management refused, preferring a
“negotiations-by-ultimatum” style. Managers finally gave up that
approach in day-long talks on 11 April, with the UK’s Advisory,
Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) participating.
“We appreciate the effort the ICEM put forward, as well as the
efforts of all affiliated trade unions that showed such strong
support. The wage package, with it now backdated to January 1st, is
a good result and it runs roughly in line with the current
inflation rate in the UK,” said Tony Burke.
Upon hearing the bargaining result, ICEM General Secretary
Fred Higgs congratulated Amicus and its membership at the Inverurie
Mill and said: “The credit belongs with the workers and with their
Union. They stood strong and the ICEM is proud to have played a
role in this successful outcome.”
-Ends-
For more info contact: Dick Blin (ICEM) on 00322 626
2026, Tony Burke on 07831 659939 or Ashraf
Choudhury in the Amicus press office in 020 7420
8914.
