29 June: the BBC reports - "Construction workers at the Lindsey oil refinery have voted to accept a deal that will see them return to work after weeks of strike action.
"The deal is said to involve the reinstatement of 647 workers sacked for taking unofficial industrial action.
Unions now say they have secured other jobs for the 51 workers [who were told early in June that they would be laid off] as well as reinstating 647 employees at the site who were on strike.
Read more:
19 June: Construction contractors at the Lindsey Oil Refinery site in Lincolnshire have responded to strike action over jobs by sacking the entire workforce and shutting down the construction project.
Read also:
- Unions report a deal (26 June)
- Solidarity swells Lindsey pickets (23 June)
- "Why would a bunch of environmental activists support workers in a oil refinery?"
- Report from Ratcliffe-on-Soar
- Report from Stanlow
According to BBC News, "Total [the refinery owner] said any contract staff who wanted to return to the site could reapply for positions until Monday [22nd].
"The construction project will remain closed in the meantime."
BBC News quotes Total as saying: "Total can confirm, with regret, that our contractors have now started the process of ending the current employment contracts for their workforce on the HDS-3 construction project."
This is straightforward union-busting, on the model of the Gate Gourmet dispute in 2005. Walk-outs at many other construction sites had already taken place in support of the Lindsey action, and will now escalate.
Unfortunately, union leaders have responded feebly. Unite officials said: "We are urging all parties to get back around the negotiating table to resolve this situation." GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: "I'm appealing to Total to actually come to the table and help the unions resolve it."
The recent strike action at Lindsey was over the sacking of 51 workers, which they saw as victimisation for their part in previous strikes in January-February over the displacement of workers already on site in favour of "posted" workers not covered by the national union agreement for the engineering construction industry and brought in from a non-union Italian subcontractor.
Comments
Statement by Total
This is the statement from the refinery owner, Total. It talks of restarting the construction project "next week" (i.e. week beginning 22 June), but does not say with what workforce.
19 June 2009
6.30am
Total can confirm, with regret, that our contractors have now started the process of ending the current employment contracts for their workforce on the HDS-3 (hydro-desulphurisation) construction project.
The contractor workforce has been engaged in an unofficial, illegal walk out since last Thursday, 11th June. This action has been repudiated by both the Unite and GMB unions.
The main contract company, Jacobs, and Total have repeatedly sought to encourage the workforce to return to work so that proper negotiations can take place. This is in line with the union and industry agreed process that negotiations over illegal strikes cannot commence until the workforce has returned to work. It is frustrating and disappointing that these attempts have failed.
All current employees of the contractor workforce who wish to work on the project, will be given the opportunity to reapply for positions on the HDS-3 construction project until 5pm on Monday 22nd June.
The HDS-3 construction project will remain closed whilst necessary preparatory work is completed to allow the project to be restarted next week. This project is of significant importance to the local area, and will help secure the future of the refinery and local employment for many years to come, as well as securing product supply for the UK in the future. At all times during the unofficial walkouts by the contractor workforce, Total, Jacobs and the sub-contracting companies have remained committed to the terms and conditions of the national agreement for the unions and construction industries.
The refinery continues to operate as normal and has not been affected by this action.
Don't repeat the same mistakes
How do you know union leaders have responded feebly? They may have, they may not. A statement calling for talks to resolve the issue is not reallly proof of anything. It might be worthwhile to learn the lessons of the strikes earlier this year and investigate before passing judgement.
What matters is what is going on 'under the radar' in workplaces across the sector where the same network of activists that delibvered the solidarity for the original Lynsey strike will surely be at work trying to build sustained action over this. '.
Are you saying that the leaders should openly back the strike and solidarity action thus giving the employers the chance to use the anti-union laws to seize union funds? I.e. that it is good leadership to immediately up the stakes to an all out confrontation involving the anti union laws over the right of UNITE and GMB to function? If not, then all the union leaders can say in press releases is what they have said.
People might find this interesting:
http://shirazsocialist.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/if-i-was-a-union-leader/
Total bosses refuse to talk
The Financial Times (20 June) reports:
1. Total bosses "decided not to go ahead with talks" with unions and the government conciliation service ACAS on 19 June.
2. Shaw and Jacobs, the two main Lindsey subcontractors, have sacked their employees, while other subcontractors have just locked them out. The FT reckons that about 1200 construction workers are involved altogether, of whom 647 have been sacked.
Strikes spread
Good report in the Guardian describing the wave of solidarity action that is now spreading across the country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jun/19/oil-refinery-construction-workers-dispute
how the employers see the strikes
Strikes jeopardise big projects, warns Institute of Directors
By Brian Groom and Andrew Bounds
Published: June 19 2009 22:38 | Last updated: June 19 2009 22:38
Business leaders fear that work on projects such as new power stations and London’s Crossrail scheme could be jeopardised unless the engineering construction industry can sort out its industrial relations.
The warning came as talks to resolve a dispute at Total’s Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire – where 647 workers have been sacked after staging an unofficial strike over job losses for more than a week – failed to take place.
Union leaders said they and officials from Acas, the conciliation service, waited four hours on Friday before being told that Total “no longer felt the need” to meet.
Acas said: “After discussions between Total management and their contractors, they decided not to go ahead with the talks.”
Total, which has given the workers until Monday to reapply for their jobs, said negotiations could not take place while it was faced with an illegal dispute. The company said it hoped to talk to Acas again next week.
The group’s tough stance appeared to be an effort to draw a line after repeated walkouts this year. Sympathy stoppages took place on Friday by 2,500 staff at eight power stations and petrochemical sites.
Shaw and Jacobs, the two main Lindsey subcontractors, fired striking workers while others opted not to, suggesting divisions among employers. About 1,200 employees building a £200m desulphurisation plant that would expand the refinery’s capacity are involved.
Alistair Tebbit, head of EU employment affairs at of the Institute of Directors, said: “With a host of vital infrastructure projects under way or in the pipeline, it is deeply worrying that we are seeing more and more illegal strike action taking place in the construction sector. It is completely unacceptable for trade unions to use walkouts as a way of strong-arming employers. The law is clear – there must be an official ballot before there can be a strike.”
Even without disputes, the industry faces a huge task to deliver projects including a new generation of nuclear power stations. Its training board estimates a shortage of 35,000 skilled manual and white-collar workers by 2014, which suggests thousands more foreign staff will be needed.
Unemployment is a big factor behind the disputes. This is a cyclical industry and 25-30 per cent of the 30,000 workers are jobless after projects dried up in recent months. There are more than 1,500 foreign workers on UK sites, which has fuelled the stoppages – although the current one does not directly involve overseas labour.
Sympathy stoppages by contract workers were reported on Friday at six power stations as well as the Ensus biofuels site at Wilton, in Teesside, and Shell’s Stanlow oil refinery in Cheshire. ConocoPhillips said its Humber refinery was not affected.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
protest at Total HQ - Monday 22nd June
http://caic.org.uk/
A good socialist presentation of some of the basic issues
A good video that should prove highly educational for people who's first reaction was to not support the original LOR strike. It looks at some of the underlying issues. One of the stewards is particularly good at dealing with the question of racism and putting it in context.
http://www.socialist.net/audio/video/
third video down.
GMB calls rally at Lindsey, 23 June
The GMB has called a rally in support of the Lindsey workers, at Eastfield Road, Immingham, DN 40 3LW from 6.30am on Tuesday 23 June.
According to BBC News, the sacked Lindsey workers are planning to burn their notices of dismissal on the picket line this morning, 22 June.
At Didcot power station this morning, 22 June, construction workers held a brief meeting and decided to stay on strike in support of the Lindsey workers. They are not picketing at Didcot, but going north to help picket lines there.
80 or 90 on the picket line at Ratcliffe-on-Soar
Pete Radcliff reports:
80 people on picket line at Ratcliffe-on-Soar.
No full time officials. UNITE officialdom widely disliked especially by UNITE members. Talk about people transferring to GMB, who they felt were on their side.
I asked how were they organising so well? Ambiguous answers about wonders of mobile phones. But how did they make their contacts - were they former workmates, did they meet up at union events? Just furtive looks in reply.
Bearfacts website advertised quite a bit. None of their earlier 'British jobs for British workers' as far as I can see. But a slogan about no discrimation against British workers - don't have exact words.
There is no evidence of on-plant organisation, just buddies looking after each other. Some just joining the union this week it appears.
As it was, they agreed to meet up again on the picket line and decide whether they go in or not. They were under the impression that there were talks today and that there would be something to report back.
Shell refinery, Stanlow, Cheshire
Elaine Jones reports (24 June): About 400 workers were at a mass meeting outside the refinery today. They voted to stay out in solidarity with the Lindsey workers and meet again on Friday.
Anthony Fields, Unite rep, and Gerry Hughes, GMB rep, said that workers were angry about the mass sackings at Lindsey. "There are people involved in this dispute who until a few weeks ago would have not have dreamed of this sort of action".
The striking workers are employed for maintenance, rather than building new plant. Their current policy is to help fix it if there is an emergency in the refinery, but if they are out for any time it will affect production in the refinery.
There were no placards or banners. The union reps said that as far as they were concerned, the dispute is not about nationalist or racist goals, but union agreements. The BNP have not come down with their "British Jobs For British Workers" agitation, but if they did come they would be chased off; however, the union reps said, there is a variety of views in the workforce, including workers who would agree with some BNP ideas.
Staythorpe Power Station
By the time I left the picket this morning at 7.30 there were about 250 workers on the picket line with numbers still growing. They were coming to express solidarity with those contractors at Staythorpe who were sacked by Alsthom (the principal contractor) two days ago for taking unofficial strike action in support of those sacked at Lindsey last week. With limited success some pickets attempted to turn back those entering the site but annoyed by the scabbing the protesters took to the road and effectively blocked the two entrances to the site. They were probably encouraged in this by the fact that there was a much smaller police presence than normal.
It was also noticeable that there didn’t seem to be as many shop stewards actively marshalling the demo and that there weren’t the usual contingents of pickets arriving by coach. Most of those picketing here today had been at Lindsey the day before, one of them said that Matt Wrack gave a much better speech than any of the leaders from Unite and GMB but there was a feeling that GMB are giving a better lead than Unite.
And that’s why I’m surprised that there doesn’t seem to be any sustained public rank and file organising efforts, this dispute has been going for some time now and the official leadership has been uninspiring. Even the announcement that the dispute is going to be made official didn’t seem to enthuse people that much today. The workforce is militant and they show each other solidarity. I can understand rank and file leaders feeling worried about their job security but maybe the fantastic solidarity that has been demonstrated in the industry will give them the courage to come forward.
A few workers were using the phrase “British workers first” as a reason to get rid of some Polish workers on the site. When I said that they were probably being paid less than the rate for the job one of them said that the Poles were on the same wages. I was sceptical about this until I realised that he might have been talking about Polish workers working for the same contractor as he was. There were no BJFBW placards or chants but if somebody doesn’t offer these workers a socialist lead then this sentiment will grow.
Unions report a deal
On 26 June BBC news reported: "Unions said the deal involved the reinstatement of 647 workers sacked for taking unofficial strike action and would be put to the workers on Monday [29th].
"The workers went on strike on 11 June after a sub-contractor cut 51 jobs.
"It is thought those workers will also be offered jobs".
Early Reports
More details are available on the initial reports from the Socialist Party (who have a lot of people on the ground) and the SWP. I haven't seen any other detailed reports following the deal from anyone else yet.
Report from Socialist Party:
http://socialistparty.org.uk/latest/7482
Report from SWP:
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=18303
To members of Victory to the workers at Lindsey Oil Refinery
(message on Facebook group)
Today at 4:27pm
Lindsey Oil Refinery construction workers have won a stunning victory. All the workers' demands have been met. The 647 dismissals have been withdrawn, the 51 redundancies rescinded and all employees have been guaranteed a minimum of four week's work - what they would have got if Blackett and Charlton had taken them on - ie as much work as is probably available.
By Alistair Tice
This victory has been achieved by the militancy and determination of LOR workers taking unofficial strike action and solidarity of at least 30 other sites, including power stations and petrochemical plants. This exerted enormous pressure on the full-time officials of GMB and Unite who, while repudiating the unofficial action, were then forced to give the recent strike official dispute status once the 647 were dismissed.
The role of the LOR shop stewards and the strike committee was crucial in giving a clear uncompromising leadership. The shop stewards committee, under the suggestion of Socialist Party member Keith Gibson, was expanded into a strike committee in the second week of the dispute.
The Socialist Party produced an almost daily newsletter that offered suggestions on the way forward for the strike, several of which were adopted. These newsletters were taken in their hundreds by pickets to other sites as far afield as Teesside, Elsmere port, South Wales and Nottinghamshire.
There are many important lessons of this dispute. The anti-trade union laws were brushed aside by the determined strike action and the solidarity. This was the third time this year that engineering construction workers have taken illegal action.
Important lessons
Lindsey Oil Refinery solidarity strikes: Publicly burning the redundancy notices,
Another important lesson is about the role of the shop stewards and strike committee and the role of the daily mass meetings where all workers were able to participate in the discussion and ask questions.
It is important to highlight that the unofficial action was clearly solid and strong and that was the basis for the official backing which was then a source of confidence for the workers.
Had the strike in January had official union backing from the start trade union banners and flags would have pushed the BJ4BW slogans into the background. This highlights the need for fighting trade unions with the election of full-time officials on skilled worker's wages.
Some on the left did not support the strike in January and February because of those BJ4BW placards. But the winter strike was primarily about defending trade union rights against the bosses attempting to divide the workers along lines of nationality by importing cheap labour to undermine the national agreement with a 'race to the bottom'.
Confidence
The victory in February and again in May, when 16 sites took solidarity action in support of South Hook in Wales, gave LOR workers confidence to carry through this action over the last two and a half weeks.
In January socialists on the strike committee countered the BJ4BW slogans with class unity demands and this latest dispute appealed for and won support from trade unions in Total in Antwerp.
However this victory is not the final word. The battle is won but not the war. The employers still have their sights on breaking the national agreement and the trade unions. But this victory has strengthened the workers resistance. The employers, both Total and the sub-contractors, completely underestimated the workforce. The mass sackings made it clear that the dispute was about effective trade unionism and the national agreement.
The employers have completely capitulated but still want to break the national agreement but they have been weakened.
Now a national ballot organised by both the unions is underway taking up the employers' refusal to make a pay offer or give any guarantees of employment security in the review of the NAECI agreement for 2010.
Buoyed by this victory the ballot should receive a big yes vote. The employers and the government will know that if they don't concede engineering construction workers will strike until their demands are met.