Jerry Hicks

BBES Unite members' 'Strike Ballot' timetable details...

November 7th: Letter from Unite to BBES informing them of the ballot.

November 14th: All BBES ‘Unite members’ should receive ballot papers.

November 28th & 29th: Ballot papers should have been returned and counted

November 30th: Notice to BBES of proposed action.

December 7th: First day of action [New contract day... But don't sign].

Look out for the ballot paper VOTE YES FOR STRIKE ACTION and send it back.

If you know anyone not in the union, sign them up.

This is good news but irrespective of the ballot: The rank and file must pile on the pressure. Organise: Occupy: Shut sites: Take the fight to infamous 7.

“Come rain, come shine, never cross a protest picket line”.

Round up of what went on, and what went off, and where it happened...

Last week saw protests in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Govan and London

In Manchester at the Balfour Beatty Carrington Paper Mill site at least 5 van loads of workers and many deliveries refused to cross the ‘protest picket lines’

In Newcastle around 60 sparks started their demonstration well before dawn at the Ashington School. The site is Kier and Balfours is the electrical contractor. The shite [sorry about the spelling mistake] manager was very unhappy at us demonstrating, complaining that we were causing a traffic jam on the main road outside the site. One nil to the sparks.

We stayed our ground putting our case to workers, with 20 electricians walking from the site to join our protest picket. Two nil to the sparks.

Then to our surprise some senior national mangers of Kier and Balfours arrived, who were stopped by the ‘protest picket’ then forced to drive through a very noisy [un]friendly demonstration. Three nil to the sparks.
This was a great result, but we all know there is a long way to go.

In London sparks protested outside Balfour Beatty Blackfriars Station before blocking roads through the centre of the City. Then it was on to Cannon Street and invading the Gratte Brothers site, where they unfurled a banner proclaiming "ALL POWER TO THE SPARKS".

When it was pointed out to the Site Agent that pay rates were being cut from £16 to £10 an hour, he replied "I'd put the scumbags on £1 an hour if it was up to me." So guess where the demo's going to be next Wednesday at 7am?

Police have informed the union that if the London action continues, they will issue Section 14 Notices under the Public Order Act - which would effectively make any gathering illegal and allow for pickets to be arrested if they continued to protest after the Notice has been served. Coming soon 'Match of the day live' Section 14 Versus 'Civil disobedience'.

Protests and events coming up next week that we know about:

Wednesday, November 2nd

Manchester 06.30am Carrington Paper Mill.

London: 06.45am Cannon Street Grattes.

Newcastle: ring 07711080607 for details.

London, Monday October 31st from 7pm -
Solidarity meeting called to help organise fliering of sites for the 9th. Upstairs in the Cock Tavern, 23 Phoenix Road, Euston NW1 1HB.

London, Tuesday November 8th at 7pm -
Unite organised meeting for Agency sparks Friends Meeting House, Euston. Speakers inc Rank & File Committee Member.

Unite's day of action November 9th call local offices for transport details. If you have any trouble then email bernard.mcaulay@unitetheunion.org

ALL OUT IN LONDON NOVEMBER 9th : Construction Industry National Day of Action. See R&F leaflet HERE

11.30 Protest at ‘The Shard’. Then march to Blackfriars and on to Westminster. We may well pull off something a bit special before the demo? Will keep you posted.

Email your ideas and any actions planned siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Siteworker blog (under construction) www.siteworker.wordpress.com
Electricians Against The World www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/