Unemployed construction workers were joined by young apprentices unable to complete their training because of a lack of work, in a mass protest at Uskmouth, near Newport in South Wales, yesterday.
Hundreds took part in the protest outside the construction site for a gas-fired power station, after text messages were sent to workers across the country urging them to attend yesterday’s meeting.
tracts being awarded to foreign companies who break national agreements and pay cut-rate wages.
The GMB and Unite unions are calling on employers to honour a commitment to find 80 per cent of the site workforce from among local unemployed people.
Complaints have been made about site contractor Siemens in South Wales.
Local workers said they are being excluded, even though there is high unemployment in the area.
Unite Assistant general secretary Les Bayliss said: ‘It’s time for construction employers to act responsibly towards the communities it operates within and profits from.
‘Unite will be meeting with Siemens this Thursday to demand the employer honours its commitment to the local community. We are determined to ensure Siemens keeps its word.
‘Unite is not and never has been opposed to the use of non-UK labour; we are opposed to workers being excluded from applying for work and agreements being broken.’
Union officials said the demonstrators were demanding ‘fairness not favours’.
Meanwhile, members of the GMB have voted heavily in favour of strike action in the long-running row after the union balloted workers at seven sites – BP in Grangemouth; Ineos in Grangemouth; Sellafield; Shell UK Stanlow; Staythorpe RWE in Nottinghamshire; Chevron at Pembroke and Aberthaw in South Glamorgan.
The GMB said ‘some progress’ has been made in talks between employers and the GMB and Unite, and a meeting of shop stewards is planned for later this month to discuss the next move.
l Members of GMB and Unison employed by National Grid at Newcastle plan to strike on Friday, 11th September, with a 95 per cent vote for action over the company’s plans to offshore and outsource their work to a low wage economy.
National Grid has finally advised GMB in writing that hundreds of jobs are at risk in Warwick, Northampton and Newcastle as the company reviews its Shared Services operations in the UK.
The company’s Shared Services Operations have responsibility for functions such as invoicing, procurement and Human Resources.
The company state in their letter to GMB that they have to find a minimum saving of £7m by 2010/11 in the three sites and that this will involve job losses.
The company have put forward two options.
The first would be to begin consultations internally on redundancies. The second would be to outsource the work with the incoming provider of the services undertaking the job losses.
It is anticipated that over 180 strikers will rally in the city centre on Friday to voice their opposition to the company’s plans.
Gary Smith GMB National Secretary for energy said: ‘This is a shameful example of corporate greed that a hugely profitable UK business is threatening to sack loyal and dedicated staff.
‘Hundreds of jobs are at risk at these three locations.
‘This is despite recording profits of £3 billion and guaranteeing large bonuses to directors and an eight per cent return to shareholders.’
