Unite's statement on the Lindsey oil refinery dispute
4 February 2009
Unite joint general secretary, Derek Simpson, said: "The workers
involved in the unofficial dispute at the Lindsey oil refinery will
vote on a deal tomorrow morning to end the unofficial walkouts.
Unite has assisted in attempting to broker a deal.
"We hope this deal will be accepted by the workers at the
refinery.
"No Italian worker will lose their job as a result of this deal.
Unite officials emphasised the importance of this throughout the
negotiations.
"Lindsey is part of a much wider problem that will not go away
if the unofficial strikers go back to work.
"The government is beginning to grasp the fundamental issues.
The problem is not workers from other European countries working in
the UK, nor is it about foreign contractors winning contracts in
the UK. The problem is that employers are excluding UK workers from
even applying for work on these contracts.
"The flexible labour market is a one way street that only
benefits the employers. We have seen the backlash as the recession
bites. The government must act to level the playing field for UK
workers.
"No European worker should be barred from applying for a British
job and absolutely no British worker should be barred from applying
for a British job."
Unite has proposed a three point plan for dealing he
current problems taking place across construction sites in the
UK.
- Resolve the immediate problem that exists at Total's Lindsey
oil refinery. Reach an agreement which gives fair consideration for
UK labour to work on the contract.
- Carry out an investigation into the practices of contractors
and subcontactors in the engineering and construction industry.
Follow by action from the government which will insist that
companies applying for contracts on public infrastructure projects,
sign up to Corporate Social Responsibility agreements which commit
to fair access for UK labour.
- Overturn European legal precedents which allow employers to
undercut wages and conditions. A European Court of Justice
precedent gives employers a license for 'social dumping' and
prevents unions from taking action to prevent the erosion of UK
workers' pay and condition.
The current proposals to be put to the workers at Lindsey will
mean that 102 additional jobs will be created for UK workers.
ENDS
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315
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