Bausch & Lomb strike as of 9 pm tonight!

mike65

Anyone here close to this story? Is it all over one suspended shop steward?

Mike.

merlante

mike65 wrote:

Anyone here close to this story? Is it all over one suspended shop steward?

Mike.

What are they looking for?

mike65

I dunno, I think they unions want there rep reinstated, they claim he/she is being bullied or somesuch by the managment I belive.

Mike.

Danes

Someone working there told me its just the fitters who threatened to strike but thats been called off now

Roen

To cut a long story with lots of legs short.

Siptu is the largest union in B&L, comprising of about 1000 members, as of the time of this post they are not on strike.

The TEEU (fitters/sparks) comprise of about 70 members, and they are going out on strike at 8:30 tonight.

Because it is a high tech company most of the manufacturing is reliant on the fitters, electricians and IT dept to keep the machinery going, therefore from the companies point of view if the fitters are out and the machines are down then there's no work for the majority of the workforce. So they have put the entire plant on protective notice.

It is over one of the TEEU shop stewards, nothing to do with Siptu, as of now the TEEU have not asked Siptu to come out with them. So as it stands you have a situation where the majority of the workforce will be expected to pass a picket.

This of course may change, if Siptu are asked to go out with the TEEU, and agree, you may have a situation where the entire plant is out on strike.
Hopefully it won't come to that.

As to what the company or the fitter did to escalate the situation into this is anybodies guess. There's nothing but rumours about at this stage and stories that aren't worth repeating.
Best of luck to all involved.

**Edit**
Just saw the above post, I guess that a lot has happened in the seven hours since clock out and now!

**Double Edit** Yep it's been called off, just got a message from one the lads out there and she found out about 15 mins ago that it's been called off, business as usual.

Tanabe

So all is well in the camp again?

Roen

Looks like it, going to the LRC.
I was looking forward to passing the picket too.

Freddie59

Roen wrote:

Looks like it, going to the LRC.
I was looking forward to passing the picket too.

As a union member for 30 years I would agree with you 100% if my information is right (and it's a good source). It' was amazing to see the Aertel quote last night. "1,500 people have been placed on protective notice by B+l after they voted for industrial action". Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this solely a fittier's problem of their own making? And a general vote was not taken.

Roen

Freddie59 wrote:

As a union member for 30 years I would agree with you 100% if my information is right (and it's a good source). It' was amazing to see the Aertel quote last night. "1,500 people have been placed on protective notice by B+l after they voted for industrial action". Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this solely a fittier's problem of their own making? And a general vote was not taken.

I'm still not sure what the issue was to be honest. I'm sure I'll hear the company line and then the fitters line at some stage. The truth will probably fall somewhere in between.
There's only rumours at this stage so if I hear anything concrete I'll be able to make my own decisions.
I'd actually only pass the picket if my own union approved it. That kind of thing can stick with a person and even pass on to their kids!

kano476

Wonder if it would have escalated to what happened in the crystal with people and even their children being labelled "scabs" for life.

From what i have heard and more than likely its only a rumour not worth repeating but the actions of the shop steward justified a suspension. factories are a funny place like that, people develop militant attitudes over stuff like this.

merlante

kano476 wrote:

Wonder if it would have escalated to what happened in the crystal with people and even their children being labelled "scabs" for life.

'Scabs'? Did this refer to people passing the picket or not? What does it mean? Was only a youngfella at the time.

kano476 wrote:

From what i have heard and more than likely its only a rumour not worth repeating but the actions of the shop steward justified a suspension. factories are a funny place like that, people develop militant attitudes over stuff like this.

Sounds like things were just too quiet in there and a few people wanted a bit of excitement.

kilkennycat2004

It should be note that these fitters are on a salary scale of 80-90 k per annum.
Hard not to draw similarities with similar categories of workers in Waterford Crystal very vocal in what was "custom and Practise" before the good times stopped rolling in Kilbarry.
Be very careful out there B & Lomb workers & do not let others , in thhis case other unions, make silly decisions on your behalf.

Tanabe

Roen wrote:

I was looking forward to passing the picket too.

:eek:

Roen wrote:

I'd actually only pass the picket if my own union approved it. That kind of thing can stick with a person and even pass on to their kids!

Glad you've seen sense on such a delicate issue lad. Personally I would never pass a picket regardless but thank God people weren't put in such a situation on Sun night.

Now, if the individual in question is only about to reap what he has sowed (if all the rumors are true) then I'd say let that be, good thing he's part of a separate union to the operatives, so leave him fight his own battle if that's the case (as somebody earlier pointed out his handsome salary is substantially more than the ordinary Joe's).

Roen

Don't worry, just my odd sense of humour, I don't think anyone would ever look forward to passing a picket, no matter what the right or wrong of it was.
As for seeing sense, hard to make a call on what's sensible when no one knows the story.

merlante wrote:

'Scabs'? Did this refer to people passing the picket or not? What does it mean? Was only a youngfella at the time.

People that pass pickets are traditionally labelled scabs or blacklegs. Strikes have a habit of making the best of friends and even families fall out, sometimes never speaking to one and other again. Bad business

Tanabe

Well I suppose what's sensible is not to pass a picket which we're agreed on;)

As for the story well maybe we'll hear no more about it & it will all blow over, who knows?

merlante

Roen wrote:

People that pass pickets are traditionally labelled scabs or blacklegs. Strikes have a habit of making the best of friends and even families fall out, sometimes never speaking to one and other again. Bad business

It just seems to me that this is a way for one group of people to impose their beliefs on another.

I hope this sort of thing disappears from Waterford forever. I suppose all these jobs will be gone in a few years anyway...