Unilever Accused of Pay Disparity for Workers Post-McCormick Merger
The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) has accused Unilever of applying a 'double standard' in pay and benefits post-merger with McCormick & Co. While European workers are guaranteed two years of unchanged compensation following the deal's completion, non-European employees receive similar protections for only one year. The merger involves Unilever selling most of its food assets to McCormick for $44.8 billion, a transaction expected to close by mid-2027. The IUF claims this discrepancy has caused uncertainty and anxiety among workers globally due to restructuring efforts tied to the deal. It also criticized Unilever's refusal to engage internationally on equal terms outside Europe, urging both companies to provide consistent protections for all employees post-merger. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently investigating whether the merger could harm competition. Unilever responded by stating it remains committed to engaging with employee representatives globally but did not directly address the 'double standard' allegations.
Tickers: $UL
Topics: labor rights M&A pay equity union relations