Balfour Beatty to replace 1,300 skilled jobs with semi-skilled
agency labour
22 November 2011
Unite has learnt that Balfour Beatty Engineering Services intend
to cut up to 1,300 directly employed skilled electricians by
semi-skilled agency labour in its move to de-skill the industry and
sack workers who do not sign up to inferior contracts.
At a recent site meeting with shop floor workers at Sellafield,
a senior Balfour Beatty Engineering Services human resource manager
confirmed that it was the intention of the company to maintain a
core workforce of skilled trades and bring in semi-skilled agency
labour to make up the teams. These teams would consist of one
craftsman, working with eight semi-skilled installer grades.
Unite has always warned that this would lead to the loss of a
third of pay for those who were not employed on the skilled grades,
but this goes even further as agency labour will lose all security
that directly employed workers enjoy.
Unite national officer, Bernard McAulay said: “This confirms the
worst of our fears for the workers in this industry. Balfour Beatty
Engineering Services are not content with de-skilling, they want to
get rid of job security for all but a small core of directly
employed skilled workers.
Out of around 1,700 directly employed skilled workers, only
300/400 will remain employed. This is an unprecedented attack on
the wages and security of workers. If BBES get away with this the
rest of the industry will follow and will lead to instability on a
massive scale.
Unite members are currently being balloted for strike action at
Balfour Beatty Engineering Services over the move by BBES to impose
new contracts and to withdraw from long standing collective
agreements with the Joint Industry Boards. The ballot closes on
Tuesday 29th November.
Ends
For more information contact Bernard McAulay 079585 14837 or
Liane Groves 07793 661 657.
