Workers at Bausch+Lomb contact lens plant to strike

Staff at Bausch+Lomb’s Waterford plant have told the company that they intend to take industrial action as a result of what they said was a failure to restore pay and conditions of employment following cuts made in 2014.

Members of the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) will begin a campaign of limited industrial action on December 21. Staff will take part in a series of one-hour work stoppages during each shift and have banned overtime.

‘In 2014, over 800 SIPTU members reluctantly agreed to deep cuts in their pay and terms and conditions of employment,’ said SIPTU organiser, Allen Dillon.

‘The basic pay of our members was cut by 7.5% and there were additional reductions in bonus payments and sick pay benefits. Also, a new starter rate of pay was implemented for temporary staff and our members agreed to increase productivity by working an additional hour a week.’