Workers at the DS Smith company, on strike since Saturday, accused the administration this Monday of, with the help of the GNR, allowing external workers into the Viana do Castelo factory without guaranteed safety conditions.
“Work is at a standstill and the strike picket is responsible for the safety of installations and equipment. Since 07:00, the GNR has been at the factory’s three entrances and we are trying to explain to workers from external companies that they should not enter for security reasons, but the administration, with the help of the GNR, is letting all these workers in who have no security at all,” said José Flores.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, the coordinator of the workers’ committee and leader of the Union of Workers of Transformative Industries, Energy and Environmental Activities of the North (SITE Norte) said that, despite the “strong police presence, there were no incidents of contempt” at the company British paper and packaging production company.
A source from the Viana do Castelo GNR Territorial Command told Lusa that, to prevent any incident, several patrols are on site and, in reserve, the intervention squad.
José Flores explained that the strike, which runs from Saturday at 4pm until 12pm on Tuesday, is the result of “a lot of saturation accumulated over the last few years” and “due to the absence of the company agreement for 2024”.
“Negotiation of the company agreement for 2024 began on February 19th. The second meeting was at the beginning of April, but without results. The company is taking these negotiations very seriously”, highlighted José Flores.
At stake, said the workers’ representative, is “a 4.3% salary increase, at least 150 euros and a 4.3% increase in monetary clauses that include food allowance, prevention and risk premium, among others”.
José Flores also mentioned that “the company has been taking 65% of the production premium it should pay workers for over 20 years”, an issue that will be resolved in court.
The person in charge also said that “the company is not paying workers for emergency hours on holiday days”.
Contacted by Lusa, the DS Smith administration assured that the situation at the factory is calm and that the GNR is only on site to avoid disturbances and guarantee the entry of workers from external companies”.
In a statement, the company regretted that its “employees have opted for collective action, especially taking into account the positive conversations” that have been developed.
“We would like to emphasize that the salary proposal we presented is very generous. Like last year, this proposal offers an increase above inflation, in a context of challenging market conditions”, the note maintains.
DS Smith guarantees to “remain committed to finding a solution that supports employees and the company”.
“As always, we remain focused on our customers and have established plans to ensure we continue to provide the best service possible”, adds DS Smith, a leading company in sustainable packaging solutions that, this year, is celebrating 50 years of the Viana do Castelo kraft paper factory.
The Viana do Castelo factory began construction in 1971, but continuous operation only began in January 1974.
Currently, the factory is undergoing a modernization process, announced in 2023, worth 145 million euros.
