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.
Urgent update on the new BESNA
proposals
22 November 2011
The employers new assurances - nothing new and nothing
assuring
The HVCA and their band of employers have said they have
listened to the concerns of the workers and have changed the
'BESNA' proposals.
But they don't address the most important change of all - the
de-skilling of the trades, with the introduction of eight installer
grade to one skilled crafts worker and the huge impact this will
have on your wages.
It doesn't address the fact that there will be no independent
and objective grading structure for operatives.
There is still no commitment to direct employment.
They claim that the 37.5 hour working week will be spread out
from Monday to Friday. BUT still with the clause "unless site rules
dictate otherwise" so this is a worthless assurance and will allow
your employer to dictate the length of working day resulting in the
loss of overtime pay.
Also, it doesn't remove the threat of "bell to bell" working
which means clocking facilities close to your work so you won't get
paid for walking across large sites.
They also claim to have removed the provision for lay off and
short term working from BESNA, but not having sight of a revised
draft we cannot take this assurance either.
Finally there remains in BESNA the ability of the employer to
combine the paid morning rest break with the unpaid lunch break
which will result in you losing your morning paid break.
Don't be fooled. This is an employer's charter with the sole
purpose of cutting costs and driving down wages and terms and
conditions.
Remember don't sign until you have spoken to your full time
officer.
| TrackingControls:PluginTrackingCode will be displayed here. |
