Plastics workers reject offer, vote to take action

The employers’ latest offer for the Plastics Industry Collective Agreement has been overwhelmingly rejected in a ballot that closed this morning.

81% of original employer members voted against the offer based on its failure to address their service leave claim and endorsed a resolution for industrial action.

EPMU plastics industry organiser Rachel Mackintosh says members are determined to get a decent deal from their employers.

“Throughout this whole campaign it’s been clear that these members are focused on two issues, a decent pay rise and an extra week’s service leave. They’ve been offered a pay rise but not the extra week which shows how much of a deal-breaker recognition of service is.”

“The vast majority of our members are backing industrial action,” says Mackintosh, “and that should send a signal to employers to pay attention to the leave issue – especially in light of the fact that 20,000 nurses have just won an extra week’s leave.”

“Other manufacturers have also provided an extra week’s leave through the Metals,” she says, “and that industry is facing similar pressures to the plastics industry. Our members are aware of this and can’t see why employers are not coming to the party over this issue.”

The plastics agreement covers more than 500 EPMU members across 13 original parties and 16 sites.