Modern art takes centre stage on 12 October as construction workers
demonstrate against 30 per cent pay cuts
10 October 2011
The world’s most visited modern art gallery - London’s Tate
Modern - will see a demonstration outside the building on Wednesday
(12 October) by construction workers facing 30 per cent pay cuts by
rogue employers.
Unite has learned that over 100 workers will be demonstrating at
the extension being built at the iconic former Bankside Power
Station between 6.30am and 8.00am, opposite the Millennium Bridge,
just before thousands of visitors flock to see the works of such
artists as Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso.
The key to the dispute is that seven rogue employers want to
impose 30 per cent pay cuts and a worsening of employment
conditions for thousands of construction workers by an arbitrary 7
December deadline – if they don’t capitulate, they face the
sack.
One of the ‘not-so-magnificent seven’ contractors who want to
impose the changes, T Clarkes Plc has an electrical contract on the
extension, currently under construction, at the Tate Modern.
Unite regional officer, Vince Passfield, said: “By protesting
outside such an iconic building, construction workers will be
showing their employers just how fired up they are at the threat to
de-skill their jobs and cut their pay by a third.
"If these companies get away with this attack our members won't
be able to pay for their mortgages or support their families.
"Construction workers have made it clear they will not accept a
pay cut. They have been protesting for weeks and we have been
advised they will not stop until their employers have returned to
the negotiating table for a constructive dialogue."
The employers want to withdraw from five long-held agreements
and replace them with a new agreement which will allow employers to
introduce semi-skilled grades and dictate rather than negotiate on
pay, holiday entitlement, overtime, and what constitutes away
work.
But five of the seven 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, with notice, thousands of employees before
re-engaging them on new inferior contracts.
This is not a call for unofficial strike action by Unite. It is
Unite’s understanding that those involved in the demonstrations are
doing so outside of work hours to avoid any suggestion that this is
unofficial strike action.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information please contact Unite communications
officer Liane Groves on 07793 661657 or Unite regional officer
Vince Passfield on 07931 559 475.
The seven major break-away contractors currently involved are:
Balfour Beatty Engineering Services Limited; NG Bailey Building
Services; Crown House Technologies; Gratte Brothers; Spie Matthew
Hall; Shepherd Engineering Services (SES); and T. Clarke Plc.
Unite has been told by these major employers that they will no
longer be party to the following agreements: JIB (Joint Industry
Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry); SJIB (Scottish
Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry);
JIB-PMES (Joint Industry Board for Plumbing Mechanical Engineering
Services in England and Wales); SNIJIB (Scottish and Northern
Ireland Joint Industry Board for the Plumbing Industry); HVAC
(National Agreement for the Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning,
Piping and Domestic Engineering Industry); MPA (Major Projects
Agreement).
