Blow to sacked workers

Jul 13 2007 By Jon Griffin

WOMEN acorss Birmingham have been urged to boycott Lil-Lets products as a public protest over reduced pensions for ex-workers intensifies.

Protesters took to the streets outside the Boots store in High Street, Birmingham city centre, in the first of a series of demonstrations following the closure of the Lil-Lets UK Ltd tampon-making plant in Alum Rock.

The UK's largest union, Unite, has accused Lil-Lets parent group Electra of deserting its loyal UK workforce to make huge profits overseas.

The entire 150-strong workforce at the Birmingham plant, originally named Southalls, was made redundant under plans to transfer tampon production abroad to Taiwan, South Africa and Poland.

A total of 46 ex-workers were later stunned to discover that the company had also reduced their pensions substantially, some by 30 per cent.

Lynne Shakespeare, Unite official, said: "This is just the first demonstration to highlight to consumers how easy it is to throw UK workers onto the dole and transfer business to countries where workers will be exploited to make high profits for companies like Electra.

"Electra's first concern is to make profit and it is evident that this company does not care about the lives it destroys.

"We are urging women up and down the country to stop and think about the shoddy way in which UK workers are being treated and reconsider their purchase at the checkout.

"Unite members feel that what Lil-lets is doing is highly immoral and unfair to this UK workforce."

Seven other public protests across the Midlands are planned by Unite in July and August.