Half-day strike at Nortel in dispute over pay deal
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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