Waterford pharmaceutical staff hoping pay increase ‘can tide us over’ cost of living increases

Workers taking part in the first industrial action at Bausch and Lomb’s Waterford plant over four decades said they were hoping to achieve a pay increase that “can tide us over” until the cost of living crisis eases.

Siptu members set up pickets outside the company gates on Saturday afternoon to kick off a series of two-hour work stoppages, after negotiations to avert industrial action failed this week.

Although there have been several disputes over the past 12 years at the pharmaceutical manufacturer, Saturday was the first time employees took to the company gates to set up pickets.

Ber Fitzgerald, who has worked as an operative at the plant for 28 years, said he and others have been feeling “more and more pressed”, with data this week showing inflation has hit a 38-year high. He said they are “living with rising costs daily” and have been especially affected by gas and fuel prices.

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“It’s just me and my wife in my house but even if you take fuel, €50 would have filled the tank for us only a number of months ago, now it’s not even half. We’re in summer now but in winter, we’re under orders in the house to leave the heat off for as long as you can and put on an extra jumper.”

He added: “Something has to give. We’re not looking to extort a pay rise, we’re looking for something that can tide us over until things can settle down again.”

In a statement, Bausch and Lomb appealed for a resolution.

“The impact of this industrial action goes beyond just the employees in the site. It impacts their families, the local businesses and communities that rely on them and it also impacts the wider economy as a whole.”

It employs 1,650 people at its Waterford plant, with over 600 new employees joining since 2015.

Salaries

Bausch and Lomb has argued that it offers the most competitive salaries but Siptu members say this only applies to the “headline wage” and doesn’t factor in benefits and sick leave.

Workers who declined to be named said a normal starting wage for many would be in the mid-30s, while one proposal from the company would see an operator working four-shift cycles of 12 hours per day earning north of €50,000 each year, including a premium. Siptu members said this is a simplification and does not take into account operators working other shift cycles which will not earn a premium for their work.

The company has described its pay scale as “competitive” and in line with other companies. However Mr Fitzgerald said a pay increase would also bring the company in line with other pharmaceutical companies in the city, such as Teva and West Pharma, who it is claimed offer better bonuses and other benefits. “A lot of us have friends in other pharma companies and we can compare. We all have a flavour of what other people are on,” he said.

A major dispute in 2014 resulted in an agreement passed by members which included a wage reduction of 7.5 per cent in basic pay and the elimination of some bonuses. It also saw one hour of work added per week to their roster.

In 2016, Siptu members voted through an improved pay deal which saw salaries increase by 9.5 per cent over a three-year period, but workers said this has meant “stagnant” pay packets as they have only been returning to roughly their original 2014 pay.

An offer proposed on Tuesday involved a 10.8 per cent increase for an average operator over three years, according to the company’s Site Lead Mark Hennessy. He urged Siptu to defer any further industrial action and “allow our employees to vote on the most recent company proposal so that they can make the decision for themselves”. Allen Dillon, Siptu organiser, said the proposal would not be put to members as it did not receive backing from the Workplace Relations Commission during 12-hour-long talks on Tuesday.

Mr Dillon said the 10.8 per cent proposal is “an attractive salary” but would not apply to operators working other shift cycles. He added that workers are facing “the highest inflation rate in generations” and that industrial action “had to be taken” after attempts to secure a pay deal failed.

There was also anger on the picket at Bausch and Lomb’s decision to withhold access to a company GP scheme for the duration of the industrial action.

“They do not make a contribution to VHI; what they do is they pay for a doctor’s scheme which they have withdrawn because of the dispute,” Mr Fizgerald said. “As of today the Siptu members in Bausch and Lomb are now excluded from the doctor’s scheme.” A spokesman for Bausch and Lomb said the company would not be commenting on the decision. Organiser Allen Dillen said workers were “infuriated” and “disgusted” at the decision, adding that it was “not helpful” to secure an agreement.