Jerry Hicks

Unite has announced a new ballot timetable of BBES. Ballot papers should be going out in the coming days. The result should be known by 2nd February, then Unite by law [anti union] has to give 7 days notice before any strike action can begin, that would bring us up to 9th February.

We have no doubt that it will be a resounding YES vote again maybe with an even bigger majority than the last time. All being well [get it right eh!] we will be on strike this time with no challenges from Balfours. However, Unite will not be balloting NGB or SPIE Mathew. They say that we “have not enough members yet”. How can this be? What have the officials been doing for the last 6 months? Get your finger out and recruit!

Even so, on February 9th we should be seeing strike action at BBES. That being the case, we must hit every Balfour site in the country no matter how big or small, even if they have no workers directly employed, they love an agency do Balfours. Unite must give full backing to the ‘rank and file’ by providing us with buses to ferry pickets around, seeing as Unite has members who are bus drivers, we can’t go wrong!

A strike fund must be set up as well as supplying us with ‘flags’ ‘banners’ and ‘placards’. Every single construction officer should be on standby for picketing, get your donkey jackets out of the cupboard, even a few oil drums, and get the fires going, set up proper picket lines. United as one to defeat the BESNA 7!

If things kick off with BBES in February, no doubt other sites will support the BBES strike and walkout in solidarity with their brothers. We need to and can escalate the strike to a national stoppage.

Rank and File national meeting report

Last Saturday 14th there was a national ‘Rank and File’ meeting in Birmingham, with more than 80 in attendance, including sparks from Scotland, London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle. Gail Cartmail Unite AGS [appointed] gave an update on the dispute, the ballot, and plans for the future. A proposal was put to Cartmail by the meeting for: An ELECTED rank and File member to be taken on by Unite’ in every region as organisers for the dispute.

The aim would be for them to visit sites informing workers about the dispute, and recruiting as many new members as possible. There are some brilliant activists, ex shop stewards who are blacklisted and unemployed who we know would do a fantastic job for Unite. Cartmail agreed that she would put the proposal to the general secretary Len McCluskey.

The meeting of ‘rank and file’ also agreed to target NGB across the country week beginning 23rd January. They [NGB] have a sites in nearly every big City.

The biggest decision with the greatest potential effect was when the meeting agreed that “If any stewards or workers are sacked during the coming weeks, a mass walkout will take place".

The meeting concluded with a decision to meet again in Birmingham on 4th February, where we can plan around the strike action [pending the result].

Spread the word ‘NO TO BESNA YES TO STRIKE ACTION’!
Some planned demo’s/Protests to look out for:

18th January London 6.45am T Clarks, Park House, Oxford Street.

18th Wed January London 6.30pm Unite Construction Branch Meeting Conway Hall.

18th Wed January Cardiff 7.00am Spie Mathew Hall, Llandough Hospital.

21st Saturday January Cardiff 10.30 Rank & File meeting Unite HQ Cathedral Rd.

25th January London 6.45am NGB Cross Rail Kings Cross Station Platform 9/10.

* NATIONAL PROTESTS ON NGB SITES THAT WEEK DETAILS TO FOLLOW *

25th January London 6.30pm Rank and File Meeting Conway Hall Holborn.

2 Feb Wed January London 6.45am GRATTES Victoria.

We need to build up numbers on all the protests so spread the word, don’t sit in doors expecting others to fight the fight, we owe it to our class, our children and grandchildren.

The Rogue 7 are determined to get this BENSA through, we must be even more determined and resolute to force the contract where the sun don’t shine. And then sort out the whole JIB agreement by starting afresh. And perhaps getting a national rate across the country for all sparks no more ‘London weighting’ or ‘country rates’. How about £25 an hour as a starting point?
We should push for elected ‘Rank and File’ members to be part of a negotiating team and then a vote on a new deal.

No more sweetheart deals thank-you very much!
For more details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit:

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey has launched a stinging attack on the Labour leader Ed Miliband claiming that he {Miliband] is “leading Labour to destruction”. McCluskey lambasts the Labour leader for “failing to support millions of low paid trade unionists” and thereby “disenfranchising the party’s [Labour] core support”.

All this ire from a union leader so influential, and rightfully so, but McCluskey not once mentions that he supported Ed Miliband's leadership bid, he urged 1.3million members to vote for him and gave Ed Miliband £100,000 of members' money so he could campaign to become Labour leader.

Worse still, in my view, Unite and Len McCluskey ensured that John McDonnell would not get on the ballot paper, thus preventing members from having a real choice. Strange seeing as it is McDonnell not Miliband who has always mirrored Unite’s policies on repeal of anti union laws and has a record of unwavering support for workers in struggle.

At first glance of McCluskey‘s outpourings, one might think that Ed Milliband has suddenly and out of the blue made a dramatic rightwards shift in his position.

Does McCluskey not remember a year ago in April 2011 Milliband’s ‘Blue Labour’ hit the headlines. Then weeks later in June he failed to support ¼ million striking public sector workers, some of the poorest paid workers, for what he called ‘irresponsible strikes’, insulting all those prepared to fight.

A month later in July, he refused to speak at the Durham Miners Gala which is always attended by over 100,000 trade unionists and natural Labour voters.

By November last year the Labour leader surpassed himself even by his standards when not backing over one million trade unionists [Unite included] who were taking part in the biggest strike in recent history over cuts to their pensions.

McCluskey criticises aplenty and I agree with his comments, but he should have seen it coming, he has been slow to speak out, and he offers no alternative and no solution.

There is an alternative, and my position is clear and consistent. Unite should only fund the Labour Party when it supports our union's policies. I say to McCluskey “Stop wringing your hands, stop moaning and stop funding them!”

This should be the day we say “Defy the cuts, confront the anti union laws and follow the lead given by construction workers, by supporting demonstrations, walkouts and occupations.”

The bosses of the banks and financial institutions caused this crisis. That is why we should not pay the price in cuts to jobs, pay, pensions and services. The very rich and big business owe us the debt and they should be paying the price. They have failed to pay £120 billion in non-collected tax. Tax the banking bosses’ bonuses along with the profits of big business. End the foreign adventures; bring the troops and warplanes home.

In times of crisis good judgement is crucial. Oh Len [McCluskey], I can’t seem to stop myself humming the ‘Con’[nie] Francis song ‘Who's sorry now’?

1] Grassroots Left National Conference
...was held in Birmingham on November 5th and was a great success. Debate, discussion and decisions including the election of a Chair [Jerry Hicks]: Secretary [Gerry Downing]: and a Treasurer [Ian Scott] and an NEC, all to serve for 12 months.

2] Unite NEC Election
...for the 2 additional NEC Equality seats. Grassroots Left supporter Lesley Mansell far exceeded the required number of nominations required to stand for the equality seat in the forthcoming NEC election. Outrageously, however, she has been informed that Unite are challenging her eligibility to stand. We are on to it and will contest the challenge. Lesley’s letter to branches, when seeking nomination struck a real chord with members. In my view, it is the principles and politics including the call for the election of all officials and for confronting anti union laws that has led to Unite seeking to debar Lesley from standing, to stop getting to our million plus members with that message.

3] Grassroots/Rank and File branch organisation
........I have sent a letter to all those branches that nominated [me] in the last General Secretary election, floating the idea of a Grassroots/rank and file branch organisation. All too often when a branch contacts the union they are completely ignored. So our objective is to co-ordinate branches with common issues, to act collectively instead of individually. I can say that I have already had an excellent response. Please let me know if you want to be involved. Jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

4] Reinstate Unite organiser ‘Kevin Robins’
.......We believe he has been unfairly dismissed, in fact victimised by Unite simply for doing what Unite officials should be doing – Standing up for workers. Kevin is a Grassroots Left supporter, a member of Unite and the GMB union, as many of Unite's employees are. However, throughout Kevin’s 12 month suspension and 7 months imposed “gardening leave" followed by his sacking, his requests for help and support as a Unite member were denied.

Our demand is that Unite should reinstate him immediately. Notwithstanding that, if Kevin is successful in what almost certainly will be a tribunal case against Unite, then the union should honour the tribunals’ decision and reinstate Kevin. Please raise this at your branch/workplace and write to Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey. We need to investigate why Unite is letting down members and attacking employees who want to improve the union.

Kevin can be contacted on (mob) 07952321675 or by his email ks.robins@virgin.net

5] Grass Roots Left NEC: Saturday January 21st 12pm to 4pm
Upstairs in the Cock Tavern, 23 Phoenix Road, London NW1 1HB - Everyone welcome [though only elected members can vote, should that arise].

6] Simpson’s £’sss severance. It’s our money and we want it back.
.........To give Unite one last chance to ‘do the right thing’ I have written to the Union’s Trustees setting out the case and method by which to pursue and retrieve £1/3 million of our money. If you would like a copy of the letter [6 pages] let me know jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

7] GRL leaflets ‘DIY’
........Many 'Grassroots Left supporters’ are raising their own leaflets on issues affecting them, e.g. in Birmingham, Northampton and most recently London GRL have raised leaflets around two separate bus disputes and also for the recent PCS Left Unity conference. Let me know if you would like me to email copies of the leaflets jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk

8] Rank and File ‘sparks’ National meeting
..........14th January, Birmingham, 1pm-4pm, Carr's Lane Centre, Carr's Lane. Only 10mins walk from New Street Station. All welcome. For details of the dispute and dates for demos/protests take a look at Electricians Against The world http://www.jibelectrician.blogspot.com/ or email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

9] UCATT election for General Secretary
...took place without Mick Dooley as a candidate, who was disgracefully debarred from standing. He is challenging that decision; we offer him our support in his challenge and will keep you updated.

Finally, we have recently opened a ‘Grassroots Left’ bank account [Just waiting for the paperwork / account details] and will be asking for donations very soon.

No matter what pressure we are put under by the Rogue 7 we must not sign the BESNA contracts. BBES workers in Scotland have been returning the new contracts unopened to BB head office as have sparks at Spie Matthew Hall along with many others around the country.

On the 4th January ‘Rank and File’ committee members from London, Scotland, Wales, Newcastle, and Manchester met with Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey to discuss the dispute and to get the backing we deserve from Unite. At the meeting he promised full backing for our dispute including financial support, he also said that all construction officers would be committed to the dispute.

We told him that we have been badly let down by Full Time Officers (FTOs) in most cases and that new members were generally not impressed with Unite's part in this dispute. McCluskey said this would be addressed, but can we trust him? After all, the last General Secretary, Derek Simpson, promised lots of things and then ran off with over £500,000 of our money! Hopefully, McCluskey will be true to his word, time will tell and there ain’t much of that left!

A campaign strategy was put forward and a follow up meeting between the Rank & file and McCluskey was agreed for 3 weeks time. A rank & file ‘sub committee’ was elected by those present to ensure we hold McCluskey to account at the follow up meeting.

The coming weeks will be make or break for us, let’s get ready for mass walkouts countrywide. The dispute is on a knife edge and could go either way. It is winnable as long as sparks are prepared to take unofficial action if anyone is sacked for not signing new contracts. Then we will we see if McCluskey and Unite will give their full backing.

The Rogue 7 have been bullying workers into signing since Xmas whilst also offering promises of overtime and longer hours, but actually we need to shorten the working week to 35 hours just like the RMT have done and they are paid a far superior wage to construction workers. They had to fight for it and construction workers must do the same. One out, all out!

It’s ‘do or die’ for us and time to stand up and be counted.

Some planned demo’s/Protests to look out for:

January 11th London BBES Blackfriars at 6.45am.

January 11th Hartlepool power station at 6am.

January 11th Manchester NG Bailey Town hall at 6.30am.

January 11th Wales Landough Hospital at 7am.

January 13th Grangemouth BBES at 630am.

January 16th Aberdeen NG Bailey Royal infirmary at 6.30am.

January 14th 1pm to 4pm, National Rank and File meeting, Birmingham Carrs Lane Center, Carrs Lane. Only 10 minutes walk from New Street station.

Finally, if you need help with expenses to cover producing leaflets or hiring rooms for meetings etc then please contact us.For more details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit:

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Some videos of the struggles we have faced. Enjoy and get angry, then let’s get even!

Halfway To Hell, The Workers And Unions That Built The Golden Gate Bridge

http://blip.tv/file/4807516

"Putting Down The Tools" BA Carpenters Wildcat 1999

http://blip.tv/file/3988334

LIUNA Local 166 Hodcarriers & Bricklayers Local 3 Members Picket DOL "Stop The Corruption Cover-up"

http://blip.tv/file/3293231

Rat Monday-SF Building Trades Protest Scab ABC Convention 1988

http://blip.tv/file/2733728

SF UBC Local 22 Carpenters Speak Out on Their Union "We Need Work In Our City"

http://blip.tv/file/1951902/

Fighting Wal-Martization

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8847190364285412428

UBC Local22 Members Fight Against Discrimination &The Firing Of Jim Salinas

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2990443557079354311

Hanging Iron, After The Quake of '89

http://blip.tv/file/2713121

The methods of the BESNA 7 are outrageous and a disgrace. It is absolute utter blackmail, they [the BESNA 7] say “sign up to BESNA and face a drop in wages by £240 a week or you will be sacked". Unite officials wouldn’t allow it to happen to themselves so why are they so lacklustre in fighting for us?

Surely this has to be fought with every weapon that Unite has, it cannot go unchallenged?

Unite should be giving 110% backing their members at the coalface, not hiding behind pointless and frivolous tribunals, which, as we and Unite know, have no powers of re-instatement in the event of wrongful dismissal. This smoke screen in fact only means offering some form of false hope, whilst wasting member’s money again.

To give ourselves a chance of defeating BESNA, ‘Rank and File’ sparks and others have to respond by withdrawing our labour and downing tools. If we don’t, we are finished and the JIB agreement will be gone forever as other firms are sure to follow the rogue 7 [who have got all the big work]. Anyway you probably won’t get a job on the cards anywhere else. Agencies will drop the rates as well. Then other trades will have their wages slashed and NAECI will be next for the chop. Then it may spread into other industries like, engineering, railway maintenance, road works and factories. Would Unite respond any differently to those attacks to our member’s conditions in such circumstances?

We hope they would respond with strike action, instead of p*** balling about like they have done with us in the JIB. We stand at a cross roads, and there are only 2 directions to go. ‘The road to hell’ or ‘the road to victory’!

We face the biggest challenge to construction workers in our living history and the need to stand firm, solid and determined has never been greater. Unite must wake up soon and support their members in a meaningful way [strike action!]. Until they do, the ‘Rank and File’ must take on the BESNA 7. Our class and livelihoods need us more than ever!

Some dates to focus on are [If you have actions planned please let us know]:

January 4th, when the Rank and File committee [from across the regions] are meeting Unite GS Len McCluskey. Also on the 4th January 06.45am, there will be a protest in London at a Grattes site in Victoria Howick Place, behind House of Fraser Store. NGB site also close by.

January 4th Welsh sparks demonstrating at Spie Mathew Hall job in Cardiff.

January 9th looks the most likely date for the next ‘big day of action’ details to follow soon.

*January 14th* [to be confirmed] Birmingham, Rank and File meeting.

Reminder: Australian Electrical Trade Union [AETU] have invited 2 rank and File members to go to Australia in New Year to speak at site meetings. [They will pay for flights and accommodation] Any takers? Please let us know. French construction workers have made contact with us and are looking to participate with solidarity action where some of the BESNA 7 have contracts in France.

Finally, if you need help with expenses to cover producing leaflets or hiring rooms for meetings etc then please contact us. For more details of demos, protests and meetings near you please visit:

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

What an incredible 4 months of rank and file activity we have had; it must be the best action of any group of workers in last 10 years, and its gone worldwide.

The fun and fightback began on 13th August in London at Conway Hall one hot summer's day when 500 sparks filled the hall to the rafters and the atmosphere was electric. The meeting discussed the issues that faced us and made its own decisions. A national committee was ELECTED by those present, no appointments or stitch ups that day.

From there, 2 of the newly ELECTED committee went to Leeds on 17th august for a Unite shop stewards meeting which was full of appointed UNELECTED unite officers, apart from 4 or 5 elected stewards and activists. We urged that a campaign be started immediately. Bernard ‘moving forward’ McAulay told us it would best to wait until January or February 2012 before we should start a campaign and get our army together. He was backed up by the appointed FTO’s.

Later that same evening, at the London construction branch, 250 sparks held the meeting in the street in the rain (the hall was too small). An army was easily formed and the 1st protest was voted on to take place the following Wednesday at Blackfriars.

Since then, every Wednesday we have protested in London at various sites for some 18 weeks at the last count. The action soon spread to other parts of the UK and Rank and File committees have been formed in Wales, Scotland, Manchester/Liverpool, Newcastle, London, and hopefully soon to be in Sheffield and Birmingham early in New year.

We have had loads of meetings and some brilliant protests with some great stuff on youtube. JIB electrician has a fantastic facebook/blog site all keeping each other in touch and organised against BESNA.

Unfortunately, Unite often failed to match up to the Rank and File, the worst being losing their bottle over the ballot challenge by BBES and despite getting a massive ‘YES vote’ for action. They are re-balloting. Disappointing as that is, it’s not a problem as Rank and File will take action anyway, as we’ve been doing since August and we aren’t going to stop now.

Protests continued this week in England, Scotland and Wales, and on Thursday night 50 protestors occupied network rail offices in London for an hour eventually moved out by pc plod.

On Saturday [Yesterday] in Scotland a number of sparks occupied the BBC asking ‘why the media blackout was going on’ Here's the link to the BBC occupation report.
http://union-news.co.uk/2011/12/update-sparks-occupy-bbc-building-protest-over-media-coverage/

In January,  Scottish sparks are planning to return all new BBES contracts unopened to BB head office en masse. So what of the ACAS meeting last Thursday [15th December], where one of our top rank and file members was present with Unite officials? At the meeting, there was no backsliding by Unite, but to our horror Brian Boyd who up until recently was a Unite official and who left the union with £100,000, was representing the employers HVCA.

Unusual you might think? If only! Amicus and now Unite seems to be a great training ground for this sort of thing with some top turncoats in recent years: Frank Westerman, Jim Simms, Jim Thomas, Paul Corby, Les Bayliss [who left with £250,000 of members money]. They all swapped sides so no wonder so many of us are f**********g blacklisted! So, ex union officials get the top jobs and we are stopped from getting jobs!!!!

Meanwhile, back at the struggle. With nothing coming from ACAS it means that in the New Year its business as usual. Demo’s, protest picket lines and occupations must continue ‘one out all out’!

Some dates to focus on are:

21st December 6.30pm London construction branch meeting. Conway Hall, Holborn. With a well deserved pint or 2 after in the Dolphin pub after.

January 4th 2012, when the Rank and File committee [from across the regions] are meeting Unite GS Len Mcluskey.

January 4th 2012 at 06.45am, there will be a protest in London at a Grattes site in Victoria Howick Place, behind House of Fraser Store. NGB site also close by.

January 6th 2012, when we should have the re- ballot result for BBES [NGB Spie Matthew Hall being balloted next].

January 9th 2012 looks the most likely date for the next ‘big day of action’. Details to follow soon.

Going Global!
We said our dispute has gone worldwide but even so we were amazed to be contacted by Australian Electrical Trade Union [AETU]. A few weeks ago, one of their officials happened to be in England and spoke at the London Rank and File meeting [3rd Dec].

They have now agreed to donate a large sum to our fighting fund and they have also invited 2 Rank and File members to go to Australia in New Year to speak at site meetings. [They will pay for flights and accommodation]/ Any takers? Please let us know. A massive thanks to them for their generosity and offer to support us where possible.

We also have had donations in recent weeks from groups and individuals across the UK. Thank you all very much. We have a bank account and a treasurer ensuring that donations go towards the cost of hiring Halls, producing siteworker magazine, for the travel expenses helping to get Rank and File members to meetings far and wide, postage costs and leaflets are paid out from the fund. So if you need help with expenses please contact us.

There are some ‘thank you’s’ to be dished out, you have all made a difference: the workers in construction, sparks ,plumbers pipe fitters welders, brickys, carpenters, painters, SWP, SP, Socialist Appeal, Counterfire, Morning star, Newsline, Reel News, Occupy movement, Trades Councils. Many other trade unions, countless trade union members, Justice for Pickets, JIB facebook, MP’s John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn. And not forgetting Unite the union. Hope we’ve not missed anyone, if we have, sorry.

At the ACAS meeting on 15th December, the employers’ team included 2 individuals representing HVCA that we believe are completely unacceptable [and a deliberate pi** take].

One was Brian Boyd now employed by HVCA and pushing through BESNA. He is a former Unite/Amicus senior full time officer with responsibilities in the construction sector and for British Airways, his pockets are full of our money and he has a knowledge of thousands of Unite members. We should definitely not be sitting down with him.

The other is Stephen Quant. He used to work for Skanska, who were the biggest subscriber to Ian Kerr’s Blacklisting organisation. He may have been Ian Kerr’s right hand man at some point.

Never mind talking about BESNA, why are Unite sitting in the same building as Boyd and Quant, its a disgrace? We demand that Unite has no further talks with HVCA if these 2 wretches are present.

For details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit...............

Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/
Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com let us know of any planned protests in you have in the coming weeks

7th December was supposed to be the 1st day of action in the electricians dispute following the magnificent ballot result of 81% in favour of industrial action at Balfour Beatty [BBES].

Shamefully, Unite the union capitulated and have decided to re-ballot after the threat of an injunction by BBES. It was claimed by BBES that 25 office workers (Unite members) were not balloted. This small number wouldn't have made any difference to the result. The result of the new ballot will not now be known until 6th January.

But it's not only the Arab Spring that knows how to use facebook, twitter and text messaging. The rank n file rose to the occasion on 7th December. It was the biggest nationally coordinated unofficial strike seen in any industry for many years. Thousands of workers were involved. There were protests and picketlines at a number of BB sites in Scotland, Grangemouth, Glasgow, Wales, Cardiff, Humberside, Manchester, Liverpool and London, where there were running battles with the police.

A 500 strong picket was put on at Blackfriars, where Bob Crow spoke as well as many others from trade union reps to John McDonnel MP and members of Unite EC. A protest was also held at BBES HQ and a protest at Grattes site, both in Victoria, at which some bright spark set off fire alarms stopping production for 2 hours as the workers refused to go back in through our spontaneous picket-line. A meeting held outside with site workers gave them the arguments to join us in the dispute so maybe they will next time.

Meanwhile in Scotland, at Camblasang fire station site offices were occupied and a protest took place at BBES HQ Grangemouth. Also steeping up to the plate, sparks and supporters were out in force support in Liverpool, Teeside, Hull, Cardiff who all had protests and pickets on large sites.



Manchester protested outside the town hall and protestors got into the Labour council meeting, demanding that Laing O'Rourke and NG Bailey are removed from the projects as they are blacklisters. Labour MPs have agreed to meet ‘Rank and File committee’ members to discuss this soon.

The whole day was a brilliant success and was rounded off with a picket on Blackfriars nightshift where no sparks worked there at all that day and there was support from scaffolders and cable pullers who refused to cross the picket lines. This all shows the enormous power and potential of the ‘Rank and File’ when they pull together. This dispute may go on for many months yet as the rogue 7 dig their heels in.

We must continue the weekly protests, maintain the numbers and push Unite to make it an official strike in construction in the New Year, though whatever happens the ‘Rank and File’ have transformed the construction sector of Unite in the last 4 months.

We should use our rank n file power and get involved in the official union machinery, putting motions through our branches to make it union policy. Get elected onto sector committees and JIB bodies and so on. Not to do this would be a mistake.

We must continue to fight the blacklist and expose any union collusion that Unite would like to brush this under the carpet. There are 100s of blacklisted sparks, experienced stewards who cannot get work in construction. Unite should challenge employers who are still blacklisting, with site workers demanding these workers to get onto sites.

We mustn't give a penny of our wages to the bosses. We have lost enough over the last 10 years and enough is enough. No cuts, no changes to JIB agreement and no sell outs!

The NAIECI agreement is also under attack, This is another area to be organised by the ‘Rank and File’ as JIB workers can assist each other. Make no mistake if the sparks and pipefitters agreements are smashed other trades will be targeted next.

‘Rank and file’ committees are springing up all over the country, which is great. Meetings are being held weekly, Cardiff last Saturday, Liverpool met last Thursday and Scotland had theirs yesterday, and many more besides; keeping the pressure on the officials.

Members are making it clear they are disgusted at Unite's decision to re-ballot and the ACAS saga. Bernard McAulay has announced that Unite are to hold talks with ACAS over BESNA on 15th December. What’s that all about? It’s not like we’ve been on strike for months [or at all!]. Hope there’s no deals done behind the members backs. “Bernard, there’s nothing to talk about”! Typical of Unite, it makes you wonder if they are planning a compromise and come up with “we got you £14 across the board”!

Come on [Bernard] McAuley, listen to your members, liven up and call a construction wide strike for the New Year. Close every site. You’ve said it at various meetings, “walkouts are the only way to win this dispute”. Well put your money where your mouth is, ‘moving forward’ as you like to keep saying. So ‘One out, all out’! And NO SELL OUT!!

In a further development, Len Mcluskey has agreed to meet the ‘cancerous’ [Quote, Bernard McAuley] Rank and File national committee in Holborn on 4th January. This is an opportunity to put our views to the General secretary. We will be looking to take people from across the regions to this meeting.

Any protests demos planned for next week please let us know. A Merry Xmas to all from Siteworker. United we stand, divided we fall !

Stand firm: Educate: Agitate: Organise: Victory to construction workers!

Thanks to all the different political groups involved and Unite members, and other trade unionists and MPs for your support.

JOINT SITES COMMITTEE
70 DARNAY RISE
CHELMSFORD
ESSEX
CM1 4XA

Many thanks and gratitude for kind donations received so far.

Follow us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/264935423529258/To contact the Rank n File Committee: siteworkers@virginmedia.com