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BBC NEWS | UK | Refinery strikes spread across UK
Refinery strikes spread across UK
Refinery worker: 'British people are being put aside'
Strikes have been breaking out across the UK in support of a mass walkout by energy workers in Lincolnshire angry at the use of foreign workers.
Hundreds are gathered for the third day of the original strike at Lindsey Oil Refinery after owner Total gave a £200m contract to an Italian firm.
They have been joined by strikers in Grangemouth, in central Scotland, Aberthaw, in South Wales, and Teesside.
"Sympathy strikes... are spreading rapidly," said the BBC's Danny Savage.
Hundreds of striking workers are holding a mass meeting at the Lincolnshire refinery.
Total said there would be "no direct redundancies" at the refinery at North Killingholme as a result of the contract for the Italian company. It's been a kettle ready to boil and the lid has blown off now
Kenny, protester
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Early on Friday around 700 workers at the Grangemouth Oil Refinery walked out in solidarity with the Lincolnshire strikers.
South Wales Police are attending a protest at Aberthaw Power Station, which organisers said involved around 50 people peacefully rallying outside the main gate.
Meanwhile Cleveland Police have confirmed that around 400 demonstrators are now involved in a protest at all four gates of the former ICI complex at Wilton on Teesside.
And some unconfirmed reports have suggested that up to 200 people have gathered outside the Corus plant near Redcar.
One protester at the Lincolnshire plant, called Kenny, said British workers should have priority of access to jobs.
He said the issue was a growing one for many industries.
"It's been a kettle ready to boil and the lid has blown off now."
Total bosses said the Italian firm IREM, which employs a specialist workforce, had won the contract to construct the new HDS-3 unit at the Lindsey plant, after a tendering process.
More than 300 of the Italian firm's workers have been brought in to do the work.
'Moral indignation'
Joint leader of the Unite union, Derek Simpson, said workers felt powerless.
"You can understand the moral indignation as well as the industrial concern that people are expected to have skills, but be unemployed and watch foreign workers [be employed] who have got more privilege because they're not barred from these contracts.
"The only role that we have is to pay the electric bills from the power stations that they build. No-one can stand aside and say that that is any way justified."
In a statement, Total said: "We recognise the concerns of contractors but it is important to note that there will be no direct redundancies as a result of this contract being awarded.
"We have been a major local employer for 40 years and have always enjoyed a good relationship with our staff and contractors.
"We are disappointed they have taken this action and we hope the situation will be resolved as soon as possible and the contractors return to work."
I don't want to dismiss the workers that are on strike as xenophobic; having listened to them on radio 5 this morning that is clearly not the case. They are saying that an Italian firm has won a contract from Total and is now refusing to employ any British workers. Apparently the reason for this is that they have undercut the British firm that bid for the contract by braking an agreement on wages to be paid to workers, and are thus employing a load of Italians at below this agreed wage.
I have a lot of sympathy with the workers, as this Italian firm has clearly not followed the rules. What I can't believe is that the labour market in these industries is so protected that unions are allowed to have a say on the tendering process, by negotiating an 'acceptable' wage for the workers. Surely these firms should be able to pay their workers whatever they want; if they can get workers in, and can complete the work, for the price that they agree, what is the problem with that?
Refinery strikes spread across UK
Refinery worker: 'British people are being put aside'
Strikes have been breaking out across the UK in support of a mass walkout by energy workers in Lincolnshire angry at the use of foreign workers.
Hundreds are gathered for the third day of the original strike at Lindsey Oil Refinery after owner Total gave a £200m contract to an Italian firm.
They have been joined by strikers in Grangemouth, in central Scotland, Aberthaw, in South Wales, and Teesside.
"Sympathy strikes... are spreading rapidly," said the BBC's Danny Savage.
Hundreds of striking workers are holding a mass meeting at the Lincolnshire refinery.
Total said there would be "no direct redundancies" at the refinery at North Killingholme as a result of the contract for the Italian company. It's been a kettle ready to boil and the lid has blown off now
Kenny, protester
Send us your comments
Early on Friday around 700 workers at the Grangemouth Oil Refinery walked out in solidarity with the Lincolnshire strikers.
South Wales Police are attending a protest at Aberthaw Power Station, which organisers said involved around 50 people peacefully rallying outside the main gate.
Meanwhile Cleveland Police have confirmed that around 400 demonstrators are now involved in a protest at all four gates of the former ICI complex at Wilton on Teesside.
And some unconfirmed reports have suggested that up to 200 people have gathered outside the Corus plant near Redcar.
One protester at the Lincolnshire plant, called Kenny, said British workers should have priority of access to jobs.
He said the issue was a growing one for many industries.
"It's been a kettle ready to boil and the lid has blown off now."
Total bosses said the Italian firm IREM, which employs a specialist workforce, had won the contract to construct the new HDS-3 unit at the Lindsey plant, after a tendering process.
More than 300 of the Italian firm's workers have been brought in to do the work.
'Moral indignation'
Joint leader of the Unite union, Derek Simpson, said workers felt powerless.
"You can understand the moral indignation as well as the industrial concern that people are expected to have skills, but be unemployed and watch foreign workers [be employed] who have got more privilege because they're not barred from these contracts.
"The only role that we have is to pay the electric bills from the power stations that they build. No-one can stand aside and say that that is any way justified."
In a statement, Total said: "We recognise the concerns of contractors but it is important to note that there will be no direct redundancies as a result of this contract being awarded.
"We have been a major local employer for 40 years and have always enjoyed a good relationship with our staff and contractors.
"We are disappointed they have taken this action and we hope the situation will be resolved as soon as possible and the contractors return to work."
I don't want to dismiss the workers that are on strike as xenophobic; having listened to them on radio 5 this morning that is clearly not the case. They are saying that an Italian firm has won a contract from Total and is now refusing to employ any British workers. Apparently the reason for this is that they have undercut the British firm that bid for the contract by braking an agreement on wages to be paid to workers, and are thus employing a load of Italians at below this agreed wage.
I have a lot of sympathy with the workers, as this Italian firm has clearly not followed the rules. What I can't believe is that the labour market in these industries is so protected that unions are allowed to have a say on the tendering process, by negotiating an 'acceptable' wage for the workers. Surely these firms should be able to pay their workers whatever they want; if they can get workers in, and can complete the work, for the price that they agree, what is the problem with that?
