Jerry Hicks

In the battle to protect the JIB agreement from being ripped up five of the eight companies have upped the stakes. Balfour Beatty, Crown House Technologies, Spie Matthew Hall, Shepherd Engineering Services and NG Bailey have issued Unite with legal notice of their intention to dismiss, by giving the legally required 90 day notice to thousands of employees before re-engaging them on inferior contracts on December 7th.

So answering the TUC’s call this week for "Civil Disobedience" against the cuts, on Wednesday we obliged and the action kicked off at across the country. At the Grangemouth site in Scotland sparks and pipe-fitters working for BBES voted to walk off the job marking a major advance in our struggle against de skilling and the vicious attacks on JIB agreement. Also in Scotland some sparks protested at the Faslane site.

In London150 protested at Olympic site blocked the main gate and then marched to the A12 main road and blocked the highway in to Stratford for 20 mins causing a major traffic jam. Eventually PC plod moved us on but it certainly caught the public attention which is great.

Manchester chipped in with a protest at the BBES Papermill site. It all amounted to another fantastic day of rank and file activity but the 8 have declared war and 5 of them are going for a rout by issuing the December 7th deadline letters. The rank and file workers on these sites must respond by downing tools and walking off site.

Unite are slowly getting involved. Two officials were at Olympic protest and, while we welcome the support, let’s be wary of a takeover followed by a sell out. This is a rank and file dispute and it’s our future that is at stake. Unite has told employers that these bullying tactics will lead to a sharp deterioration in industrial relations on major sites up and down the country, putting into jeopardy the ability of companies to deliver projects on time and within budget. Unite has called on eight break-away construction companies, who are imposing semi-skilled grades into the mechanical and electrical sector, to ‘pull back from the brink’ before industrial relations deteriorates to harmful levels.

Bernard McAulay, the National Officer has said: “These rogue employers should pull back from the brink as their attack on workers’ skills, pay and terms and conditions is causing widespread anger among workers."

Words are fine but Unite needs to be put under pressure to negotiate a proper deal for us. A ballot for strike action of all electricians, pipe-fitters and other trades would make that more likely. So lets inundate Bernard McAulay with emails bernard.mcaulay@unitetheunion.org demanding a date for the ballot. And don’t wait until the end of December, Mr McAuley.

Of course we want a ballot but we can’t afford to sit back and wait or it will be too late and we will be on £10 .50 an hour. So we must force the issue and spread these actions across the country. Lets step it up gear blockades, occupations, traffic jams, until an agreement has been reached.

Rank and File meetings:

Newcastle: Friday16th September 7pm in the Labour club.

Scotland: Saturday 17th Grangemouth September 10.00am

Scotland: Saturday 24th September Edinburgh time and place to follow.

Liverpool: Thursday 29th September 7pm-9pm Friends meeting House, 22 School Lane LI 3BT

Manchester : Saturday October 1st 12.00- 3pm Mechanics Institute 103 Princess Street M6 DD

Rank and File protests planned so far:

Manchester: Wednesday 21st September 6.30am Manchester town hall & Baileys site BBC Media City at 10am.

London: 21st September 6.30am-8.30am Farringdon Station, Crown House site.

• It is imperative that everyone joins Unite and elect stewards.
• Make sure stewards from the sites, once elected, meet area officials from Unite before any meeting with your employer.
• Unite officers only meet with the employers when all stewards are present. None of this ‘we meet the employer, sort out a deal and tell you to accept it’ crap. That set up must come to an end. Its totally undemocratic, it may have been Hardacre's style, but he’s gone. Democracy is vital, a settlement on the rank and file's terms is the only honourable settlement.

We are fighting for our future and for future generations. Demand these basic trade union principles from Unite. No sell-outs. We can and will win this dispute. Unity is strength!

Email us with ideas and let us know if you have actions planned siteworker@virginmedia.com