Plastic Fantastic

Following the retirement of a branch rep, a workplace in Somerset was struggling to organise its members, until a young member stepped up and took on the role – now both he and the branch are thriving.

Sharpak is based in Bridgwater and produces recyclable plastic trays for the food industry, the ones you see in most supermarkets holding meat, veg, and fruit.

When the long-time FOC (Father of the Chapel) retired, no one initially wanted to fill the role, but after some thought Angus Richards-Costanza decided to give it a go and the work he is doing has made a real difference to members.

Meeting in a pub near the local train station with Unite regional officer Gareth Lowe you get a feeling why Angus has made such a difference – he is enthusiastic about doing the best for the members and promoting the benefits of being in the union, and this enthusiasm has led to a growth in the branch as more factory workers join up.

Angus explained that the issues that concern members are common in most workplaces – pay, working conditions, frustration with management.

Angus said “In some ways I rallied people together through their frustrations and many saw why it was a good idea to join Unite.”

As well as negotiating an improved pay offer recently one of the biggest issues that Angus has been involved with has been over the working temperature in the factory.

Angus explained, “We make plastic trays for the food industry, this involves two main processes – thermoforming and extruding – both of which produce a lot of heat. Heat that the water cooler fans couldn’t cope with.”

“During this summer, when we were having red weather alerts that warned of a danger to life, the employer wasn’t keen to listen to the Met Office advice.

“I wrote to them explaining the issues that workers were facing and got a vague answer which didn’t really make any difference. However, I interpreted this to ensure that people took extra breaks and kept hydrated. I also made sure the engineering teams were taking water breaks.”

The strongest support came from the extrusion workers and engineers, which was unsurprising as these are dealing with the hardest working conditions.

One of the problems that the branch faced was that it is a “very cosmopolitan workplace” and many of the foreign workers think differently about taking breaks and working in hot weather, partly through a perceived fear of management action. This has changed and everyone is taking breaks and staying safe.

Extreme temperature at the factory is just one way the new rep has been supporting his colleagues.

Pay and conditions has been an issue and Angus, with the support of his regional officer, has been negotiating an improved pay claim that has been backed by the members.

This has resulted in an original offer of 3% being rejected and, following a ballot and the threat of industrial action, an improved offer of 3.5% was put forward and accepted. This includes an enhanced increase for some of the lowest paid workers.

Gareth Lowe said, “When Angus originally said he would get involved it was to help with pay, but this has now developed and he has taken on the role of the new FOC.”

“And since he took on the role others have come forward and the branch is going from strength to strength,.”

Former rep, extrusion setter Andrew Smith, has returned to take on the Treasurers role, and Tom Neale, a forming setter, has become Branch Chair.

Angus had less than two years’ service at the company before becoming FOC, and Gareth said he made sure that he warned Angus of the possible risks, explaining that “he was threatened with a number of disciplinaries, which have all been rejected.

“The HR officer involved has left the site, and the replacement is far more open to talking to onsite union reps, and the relationship between the workforce and the employer is much more constructive.

“Angus has now negotiated monthly meetings between union reps and the Operations Director and there is a lot more respect for the union and members now.”

Going forward both Angus and Gareth agree the branch’s next steps will be to recruit a Health and Safety Rep and an Equalities Rep. Angus is also getting more involved with the union beyond the factory gates and has recently started attending his local RISC (Regional Industrial Sector Committee).

At the end of the day Angus took on the role out of a feeling of solidarity with his colleagues, saying that he stepped up “because there was going to be no reps on site. I’m aware how difficult some managers can be and didn’t want to leave my fellow workers unprotected.”

It is this sense of fairness that has led to improvements for everyone in the Bridgwater factory – and this is just the start.

By Keith Hatch

Photos by Mark Thomas