VICTORY - sacked UNITE rep reinstated after direct action picket line‏!

Graeme Boxall, the UNITE shop steward sacked at the Morgan Stanley HQ in Canary Wharf on Friday has been re-employed.

See link to today's Morning Star front page headline for details: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-ae69-Sacked-Union-Rep-takes-on-Bully-Bosses

Graeme was dismissed immediately after he requested direct employment for the electricians he represents but following a picket line this morning, negotiations took place between UNITE official Guy Langston and Lee Crompton Phoenix Managing Director. The outcome was that the sacked steward is now re-employed and the union will participate in continuing talks with the company about the direct employment issue.   

Police threatened to arrest pickets and managers tried to intimidate the pickets by waving paperwork in front of them saying, "you are on private property and this is document is a High Court injunction which bans this protest"

The rank and file sparks reply was, "so what?"

Following the successful re-employment, protests have now been suspended to allow the union to negotiate the outstanding issues.

Graeme Boxall commented:

"I would like to say a massive 'Thank You' to all those who came down to support me today. I would especially like to thank the vast majority of construction workers on site who showed such solidarity by respecting the picket line, despite all the intimidation from the police and senior managers. 

Millions of workers are being denied their basic employment rights by the use of zero hours contracts, employment agencies and umbrella scams. But we don't have to passively accept these abuses. Today has proved that if we fight back, we can win".

Unite Steward Sacked for requesting rights

A Unite shop steward has just been sacked while working at Morgan Stanley Investment Bank in Canary Wharf after he asked for direct employment for all the electricians he represents. The company is D&D, who are sub-contracting for Phoenix Electrical who are a JIB registered company. Under JIB rules, all labour on site should be directly employed. This had actually been agreed in principle but when the steward actually asked to go on the cards, he was immediately dismissed. 

We are not standing for this. 

Casualisation is the scourge of the UK workplace. Zero hours contracts, agencies, temporary contracts and umbrella companies. But we don't have to simply accept this erosion of working conditions and legal rights. We can fightback and demand direct employment. If you want to fight back against the tide of casualisation & have a pop at global capitalism at the same time - join the picket:

Monday 27th July - 6:30am onwards

Morgan Stanley

25 Cabot Square

Canary Wharf

Morgan Stanley rule the world and Canary Wharf is the spiritual home for financial capitalism. If the construction firms want to have a fight about workers rights - we're happy to have it there.

Everyone welcome, especially any legal observers (as the private security and police might get heavy). 

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-0b2e-Union-rep-sacked-after-asking-for-direct-jobs

BREAKING: The industrial relations consultant representing the electrical companies in the Morgan Stanley sacking is Frank Westerman.

The ex-Amicus official now works as a freelance consultant for the major construction employers, including Skanska and other multinational firms responsible for blacklisting trade union members. Frank Westerman's name appears as the source of information on a number of Consulting Association blacklist files, especially in relation to electricians who worked on the Jubilee Line. Westerman denies ever deliberately grassing up his members to the bosses and any other wrongdoing. He himself has a blacklist file from his youth as a shop steward.