Pot Noodle workers strike in Unilever pension protest

A rolling programme of strike action will hit Unilever sites across the country from Wednesday.

Thousands of Unilever staff will go on strike, starting at 6.59am on Wednesday, with action continuing until midnight on January 28.

Unite, the GMB and Usdaw said the stoppages will hit production of leading food and cleaning products including Marmite, Flora, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, PG Tips, Pot Noodle, Lynx, Persil and Dove.

Unite’s national officer Jennie Formby said: “We have repeatedly called upon this company to talk to us about a sensible solution to this dispute. It is deeply regrettable that Unilever refuses to even sit with us at Acas.”

Unilever said it believed the provision of final salary pensions was a “broken model” which was no longer appropriate for the company.

A spokesman criticised the strikes and said it was Unilever’s responsibility to protect its long-term sustainability and competitiveness.

New pension arrangements being implemented from July were “exceptionally competitive” and had been enhanced following consultations with employees, said the firm.

The strike will affect other sites, including Port Sunlight, Norwich, Warrington, Trafford Park and Gloucester.