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Half-day strike at Nortel in dispute over pay deal

By Robin Morton
Tuesday, 19 August 2008

The Nortel telecoms plant at Monkstown in Newtownabbey was hit yesterday by strike action in a row over this year’s pay deal.

Unite, the trade union, said that more than 150 test technicians and shop floor workers had taken part in a half-day stoppage.

The union said that a picket had been placed on the plant when the action started at midday.

Unite regional organiser Terry Collins said the action was taken after pay talks broke down.

He said: “We have been working closely with the company over the past 18 months on ‘lean manufacturing’ and have made £3m in savings at the Monkstown plant.

“Now is the time our members are paid back for all their efforts, Unite members will be staging a half-day strike each Monday from now on. The last time a dispute occurred at the telecoms manufacturing plant was 16 years ago.” Mr Collins said the union had submitted a claim for a pay rise on a par with RPI, which he said was currently 4.6%, but that the company was willing only to offer 3.75%.

A spokesman for Canadian-owned Nortel said simply: “We are aware of the proposed action.”

Around 625 people are employed at the Monkstown plant, which is the group’s supply chain centre for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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