Mayr Meinhof closes Bootle plant

MAYR-Meinhof Packaging (MMP) has closed a plant in Bootle which has been the centre of an ongoing industrial dispute.

Staff began strikes at the plant in February over the handling of redundancy announcements made by the Austrian company. It responded by locking workers out of the plant and no production has taken place there since.

MMP issued a statement yesterday confirming the plant’s closure and the redundancy of all 109 staff.

It said: “In recent years, the team in Liverpool has worked hard to improve the plant’s competitiveness, in order to keep production at the site.

“However, the economic situation, latest market developments and the demands of MM-Packaging’s customers have finally led to this difficult decision.”

The company added that its customers would not be affected by the closure as they were now being supplied with products by other parts of the group.

Workers’ union Unite is hosting a demonstration outside the offices of the Austrian Embassy in London today to address what it described as the “mistreatment” of 149 workers who it says have been locked out of the plant since February 18.

“Unite is furious over the way MMP has handled the ongoing dispute and its unacceptable behaviour towards its members,” it said.

“It unfairly selected 49 people for redundancy forcing workers into accepting poorer redundancy terms, as well as sacking four workers following a sham disciplinary hearing. The remainder have all now received letters of dismissal.”

Unite assistant general secretary, Tony Burke said: “These letters sent out to workers telling them that they will be made redundant is nothing short of disgraceful. Our members are infuriated that during an imposed lock out management has decided this will happen.

“The proposed closure of the Bootle factory has left this committed and loyal workforce feeling as though they are being abandoned. For several weeks, MMP has refused to even talk to us. They have treated their workforce like dirt.

“We urge the Austrian Ambassador to do everything he possibly can to make MMP return to talks and allow people to return to work.”