Flahavan’s Workers To Vote On Strike Action

Workers at the Flahavans factory in Kilmacthomas, County Waterford are voting on strike action after the company tried to impose a new pay and productivity deal without letting the union have a look at it.

Workers are balloting between August 12th and 21st. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It beggars belief that it has chosen to tear up normal industrial relations procedures and demand workers sign up to an unseen and unagreed policy.”

Flahavans supplies 50% of all the porridge oats eaten across Ireland. They should respect the 80 workers at the factory enough not to try impose an agreement that includes “flexbility” without workers’ oversight and approval of the deal.

The company says it is “surprised and disappointed” by the decision to ballot for action. Bosses always talk in such polite “surprised” tones when they’re caught doing one over on workers.

The strike vote and subsequent action should go ahead to demonstrate to Flahavans that they can never get away with trying to pull the wool over workers’ eyes.

Managing Director John Flahavan has full control of the business after buying out other family shareholders (including his brother) in 1999. The company’s financial performance is channeled through a holding firm called Finegrove Holdings.

Without this workforce 50% of the porridge oats in Ireland doesn’t land on breakfast tables and Flahavans make no profit at all. They need to remember that.

Unite will now go into negotiations with the company but grassroots members should push for the vote and action to go ahead so that the company remembers they need to show the utmost respect to their workers.