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| 'Scrooge' Unilever scraps Christmas gifts for strikers | 'Scrooge' Unilever scraps Christmas gifts for strikers |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Striking workers at consumer goods company Unilever have accused bosses of "Scrooge tactics" by cancelling Christmas parties, gifts and hampers. | Striking workers at consumer goods company Unilever have accused bosses of "Scrooge tactics" by cancelling Christmas parties, gifts and hampers. |
| More than 2,500 workers have staged a 24-hour walkout in a pensions row. | |
| Staff walked out at Gloucester, Port Sunlight, Purfleet, Norwich, Leeds, Manchester, Bedford, Burton-on-Trent, Crumlin, Deeside and Warrington. | Staff walked out at Gloucester, Port Sunlight, Purfleet, Norwich, Leeds, Manchester, Bedford, Burton-on-Trent, Crumlin, Deeside and Warrington. |
| Unilever said the strike had made Christmas gifts inappropriate and instead donated items to charity. | Unilever said the strike had made Christmas gifts inappropriate and instead donated items to charity. |
| The dispute is over plans to end the company's final salary pension scheme. | The dispute is over plans to end the company's final salary pension scheme. |
| Members of Unite, Usdaw and the GMB unions are taking part in the 24-hour stoppage, the first national strike at the company, over proposals which they say will cut retirement income for staff by up to 40%. | Members of Unite, Usdaw and the GMB unions are taking part in the 24-hour stoppage, the first national strike at the company, over proposals which they say will cut retirement income for staff by up to 40%. |
| Some workers walked out at 19:00 GMT on Thursday while others went on strike at 07:00 GMT and will be on the picket line until 07:00 GMT, on Saturday. | |
| 'Act of spite' | 'Act of spite' |
| Unions said the strike, at various times at the 11 sites, would hit production of Unilever's brands including Dove, Marmite, PG Tips, Pot Noodle and Hellman's Mayonnaise. | Unions said the strike, at various times at the 11 sites, would hit production of Unilever's brands including Dove, Marmite, PG Tips, Pot Noodle and Hellman's Mayonnaise. |
| Jennie Formby, national officer at Unite, said the company had scrapped Christmas parties at plants where workers were on strike along with a £15 Christmas bonus and a food hamper. | Jennie Formby, national officer at Unite, said the company had scrapped Christmas parties at plants where workers were on strike along with a £15 Christmas bonus and a food hamper. |
| "It is an act of spite, they are behaving like Scrooge," she said. | "It is an act of spite, they are behaving like Scrooge," she said. |
| "The company decided to give the hampers to charity without consulting the workers - they probably wouldn't have minded but would like to have been consulted." | "The company decided to give the hampers to charity without consulting the workers - they probably wouldn't have minded but would like to have been consulted." |
| In a statement Unilever said: "We felt it would be inappropriate to provide Christmas hampers or gift vouchers to our employees at the sites where industrial action is taking place. | In a statement Unilever said: "We felt it would be inappropriate to provide Christmas hampers or gift vouchers to our employees at the sites where industrial action is taking place. |
| "Instead we have committed to donating these to one of our national charity partners, FareShare." | "Instead we have committed to donating these to one of our national charity partners, FareShare." |