February 2009

With workers everywhere being
forced onto the defensive through employers’ attacks on jobs, pay and
conditions the victory at Lindsey of the protests and strike action will be
seen as a marvellous example to others of what can be achieved in the face of
attack. The background to this latest dispute has been a deliberate employers’
offensive over a number of years to undermine the National Agreement for the
Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI). The slump in the construction
industry since last summer and the onset of the recession only intensified
these attacks.

“To improve real
pay levels, the Trade Union Side of the NJC seeks a one-year, across-the-board
pay increase of at least the level of retail price inflation, with additional
increases for the lower paid. The Trade Union Side’s
2009 -10 pay claim is for one year only and distinct from any other
negotiations over the Green Book.  We would like negotiations to take
place in an expedient manner and for settlement to be reached by 1 April 2009." Short and sweet and
utterly reasonable, at least that’s how many UNISON members will see this
year’s pay claim. In reality however, this year’s claim is likely to be a great
source of contention between the employers and UNISON, Unite and the GMB.

Rail unions held a protest on Wednesday
February 11th outside London Underground head offices against the
first wave of threatened cuts of 1,000 jobs. Workers turned out to demand that
those responsible for running up the massive TfL/LUL deficit of over £2.5
billion be sacked, and not the workers who are being threatened with the sack because
of senior management incompetence.

It’s
increasingly clear that the political and economic situation in Ireland is
heating up – what with the banking crisis and the bail-out of the banks, then
the nationalisation of Anglo Irish. Thousands of jobs have disappeared, Dell
and the threat to Waterford
being two of the most important. Unemployment has risen by over 120,000 in a
year and the government is looking for cuts in the private sector.

Socialist Appeal interviewed Keith Gibson, spokesperson for the Lindsey
strike committee:

“I believe the result in Lindsey was an
excellent victory for the workers. It truly inspired me. The solidarity of the
lads around the country in particular was tremendous. It was spontaneous. The
lads were looking for a lead, especially as they were fed up at seeing
employers with their own workforce for years coming in and under-cutting the
national agreements."

Socialist Appeal interviews John
McKewan, victimised worker from Lindsey Total Oil Refinery:

"The workers
were prepared to break the law. The national trade union bureaucracy don’t want
a fight on their hands. They are more afraid of losing their salaries and cars.
They do not understand the anger of workers fearful for their jobs and
livelihoods. I asked the coppers what they were doing here. “Shouldn’t you be
in London
arresting bankers and city speculators?” They seemed to agree. We told them to
move the BNP. If not, then we would move them ourselves, so they obliged."

A new issue of the Olympic worker is available now. Download as a PDF to print out and distribute.

Socialist Appeal interviewed Phil Willis, an unemployed steel erector and Unite activist involved in the battles at Lindsey refinery and all over the country. He tells us, "

The action at Lindsey
was a complete success and it achieved many other very important objectives.
Firstly it created 102 new jobs for UK workers. It highlighted the plight of
the UK engineering construction industry and brought the issues forward into the
public consciousness and in doing so secures huge public sympathy and support.
It displayed a massive show of strength, volatility and unity from workers,
which both the government and unscrupulous employers believed had long since
ceased to exist."