Tate shuts the door on US workers
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A DELEGATION from the American Allied Industrial Workers Union was turned away from Tate & Lyle's annual meeting in London yesterday after coming to protest at the company's treatment of workers in the US.
Dave Watts, president of the union at Tate's corn sweetener manufacturing subsidiary, AE Staley, said he was asked to leave the meeting because a letter naming the four delegation members as proxies for US shareholders had not been lodged in time with Tate's registrar.
The AIW handed leaflets out to shareholders as they arrived at the meeting in the Barbican to highlight a four-year-old dispute over working conditions at Staley's plant in Decatur, Illinois.
The union contends that Tate is trying to induce 800 workers to strike by imposing contract changes, reducing income by between dollars 3 and dollars 4 an hour and forcing workers to rotate between day and night shifts. Under US law, companies can replace strikers with new employees, thereby getting rid of union representation.
Neil Shaw, chairman of Tate & Lyle, dismissed the protest as a publicity stunt. He said the company's first priority was to maintain its competitiveness.
The union members were represented in the meeting by Ed Feigen of the AFL-CIO, the US equivalent of the Trades Union Congress, who entered the meeting thanks to a sympathetic shareholder handing over his voting card.
Mr Feigen took Tate's management to task for 'declaring a war on employees' and reminded shareholders that poor productivity at Staley had been blamed for last year's 15 per cent decline in Tate's operating profits. He said shareholder value was at risk because workers were demoralised.
One other shareholder addressed the subject of industrial relations, suggesting to Mr Shaw that, in this case, management should show more flexibility. He was thanked for his 'helpful advice'.
(Photograph omitted)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments