Enniskillen Workers Strike For Living Wage

Workers represented by Unite the Union are on strike at two different workplaces in Enniskillen this week, after their bosses’ refusal to pay them a living wage.

Pilgrim’s Foods workers are taking a 5-day-long industrial action with the aim of securing a pay increase. Additionally, they seek an end to the unequal practice of day-shift workers not being paid for the breaks that the majority of their colleagues are paid for.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said about the Pilgrim’s strike:

“The company can well afford to pay our members a decent wage – never mind paying them for work breaks. Our members are simply seeking fairness, consistency and a pay award that reflects the cost-of-living pressures facing working families across Northern Ireland.”

Pilgrim’s is a huge food company, with over 40 facilities across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. They are more than able to meet their worker’s demands but would rather continue underpayment and unequal treatment during a cost of living crisis.

Meanwhile around 150 workers have undertaken a 7-day strike at Balcas, the largest sawmill in the North. This marks an escalation from their three previous 24-hour strikes, following the rejection of a well below-inflation pay deal that offered a pitiful 3% increase.

On the Balcas strike, Graham said: “Balcas and Glennon Brothers is a highly lucrative employer that can fully afford to give their workers a decent pay increase. Balcas’ refusal to do so demonstrates it is putting profits before people.”

The Balcas plant alone recorded pre-tax profits of £18.7 million. Its owner, Glennon Brothers of Longford, are by no means in dire financial straits either. As well as their sawmills in Longford, Cork and Scotland, last year they acquired the Pontrilas group in Wales. This operates the largest timber processing mill in England and Wales, with a turnover of £120 million and a profit margin of 15%.

Meanwhile Balcas workers are paid just above minimum wage, with most forced to work huge amounts of overtime to make enough money to live.

The strike will shut down all timber production on site. Unite warns this could heavily impact timber supplies across the North if bosses are not quick to offer an improved deal. This yet again highlights the power that workers hold over the economy, even in a single workplace.

With solidarity, we fully support the workers of Pilgrim’s and Balcas and encourage you to remember this power you wield. Strike action is the only way to bring the bosses to the bargaining table and gain concessions for the workers who actually create their profits.

At the same time, rank and file members must keep the pressure on union officials not to settle for anything less than above-inflation pay deals. Anything below is in reality a pay cut.

The Red Network will continue to support all strike action by workers. As well as improving the everyday lives of our class, every picket and every victory builds the confidence needed for the creation of a nationwide, grassroots trade union movement.

This will be the first step towards our ultimate goal: a rebellion to put workers in the driving seat of a planned economy. Only then will we be free of the parasites profiting from our labour and really be fairly paid for our work.