Elaine Brunskill, Northern Socialist Party regional secretary
Liebherr strikers on their Sunderland picket line on 24 August were resolute. Talking about the importance of their picket line – which is highly successful in turning away deliveries to the company – one of the strikers commented: “Even if it’s thunder and lightning, we’ll be standing here.” Their placards state: “Liebherr – no cranes today”.
Both Unite the Union and GMB members are out on strike to improve their pay. Workers at Liebherr produce high-quality marine cranes.
The company is global, and their Sunderland plant is profitable. Internationally, the company boasted of almost €10 billion turnover last year.
One of the strikers pointed out that, according to Liebherr’s company accounts, one of the directors at the Sunderland site received an annual salary of £151,000 – that’s around £3,000 a week!
Over the coming weeks Liebherr workers are intensifying their strike action. There is also an overtime ban in place. There is clearly a mood to further escalate the action if management fail to improve their offer.
- Send messages of support to Unite the Union regional officer Mark Sanderson [email protected] and donations to Unite the Union, John Dobson Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8TW.