Crossrail Project: 28 EIS Workers Victimised?

...So we fight back!

28 workers including 2 reps have been sacked at the Westbourne Park site for daring to join a Trade union! One of those sacked was a safety rep. Shortly after the sacking there was potentially a very serious accident at the site, when an earth moving conveyor [hopper] collapsed, luckily though no one was injured, this time anyway!

Since the sackings, and for the last 3 weeks there have been daily pickets at the Westbourne Park site. Please get to the picket anytime between 7am to 1pm. The nearest tube is ‘Westbourne Park’ and the site is opposite the station. 4 or 5 pickets can cause havoc at the Crossrail site, just imagine what 40 or 400 could do!  Remarkably there are those that still say blacklisting is a thing of the past?! But its going on right here right now! So as well as the daily pickets we have had a some great protests over blacklisting and EIS sackings with our comrades in Blacklisted Supporters Group [BSG].

BAM the main contractor at Westbourne Park are one of the biggest ‘Blacklisters’ going. There has been plenty of coverage in the press lately on ‘Blaklisting’. Massive thanks to BSG. When employers break the law our response has to be ‘CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ALL THE WAY’.

Combine meeting? What Combine meeting?

Did you know that there was a Combine meeting on the 3rd October? No? Neither did many of those who did not receive notice of the meeting! So at the meeting on the 3rd Oct there were only 10 in attendance. If you were not informed about the meeting then please send emails/letters of complaint to: Bernard ‘moving forward’ Mcaulay. Email address: Bernard.McAulay@unitetheunion.org   

Note: Another combine meeting is planned for November, so make sure you are informed.

Play by the rules?  Crown House don’t!

We know that Crown House are still up to no good, so keep the ‘play by the rules’ forms going and also the weekly protests near you, if you can.  National TUC March on October 20th in London

Unite may be assembling at the Head Office in Holborn early on the day, to march to the Embankment. So get your banners out and show the Con-Dems what we think of their cuts!
Dig deep and give generously.

We are appealing to you all to contribute to the EIS hardship fund, make cheques payable to ‘Joint Sites Committee’ and send to: 70 Darnay Rise Chelmsford CM1 4XA. Please raise at your workplace/union branch/Trades Council/any meetings or wherever you can. Cheers.

Finally [and good news], we now have now got a few activists on Unite's [construction] Regional Industrial Sector Committees [RISC’s] and the National Industrial sector Committee’s [NISC’s]. Nice one, keep on keeping on eh!!

An injury to one is an injury to all: Solidarity forever. 

For more info please visit... Electricians Against The World http : //  www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com    / 
Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com 

SACKED FOR JOINING A UNION!

28 WORKERS including a UNITE steward and safety rep have been dismissed from the Crossrail project because of they are members of a trade union. The unionised workers employed by E.I.S. Electrical were searched and removed from site last Friday at the instruction of Bam Ferrovial Kier (BFK), the consortium of contractors building Crossrail.

Crossrail is going to be one of the largest infrastructure jobs in the whole of Western Europe – if it is unionised, the workforce will earn good wages and the job will be safe. This is a deliberate attempt by BFK to intimidate workers and keep the union off the project, so they can keep wages down and force through rushed production targets.

Whatever nonsense BFK come up with to justify the dismissals, everyone knows there are 3-4 years work left on the project for these sparks alone. But as soon as the union appeared on the job, the steward was banned from the tunnel and forced to sit in the site offices at Westbourne Park for weeks on end. The Safety Rep was suspended and left to sit at home for the past 13 weeks. Eventually BFK threw EIS off the job just to get rid of the union.

The Managing Director of E.I.S. has given the union a witness statement and states that the only reason the workers and the reps have been removed from the job is because of the union presence.

This is a dispute about safety and money. Even the EIS electrical engineer was sacked after he took a photograph of unsafe high voltage electrical cables. BFK are making money by playing with our lives.

BFK want to save money on Crossrail

We want to save lives on Crossrail

BAM and Kier (part of the BFK consortium) are proven blacklisters of trade union members. They were part of the Consulting Association blacklisting conspiracy exposed in 2009. There is documentary evidence that their senior managers and Directors have illegally victimised union members. We know exactly what they’ve been up to – We’re not going to stand for it on Crossrail. The sparks won their fight against BESNA pay cuts – The rank & file will win the fight for Crossrail.

• SUPPORT THE VICTIMSED CROSSRAIL SPARKS

• END THE BLACKLIST

• UNIONISE CROSSRAIL – ELECT YOUR OWN REPS

• FOR BETTER MONEY & BETTER SAFETY

Site Worker siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Strike Threat at Crossrail Site Report Details:

Crossrail go hysterical over unionised contractor after safety concerns are raised

LAST Friday at 3pm every unionised worker for E.I.S. electrical contractor on Crossrail at Westbourne Park tube were be searched and removed from site.  The McGingley union rep was dismissed from site earlier today.  These are the opening shots in what appears to be a major battle over unionisation and safety on the Crossrail project. Unofficial picketlines look set to appear very soon and could cause chaos in West London. 

Bernard McAuley UNITE national Construction Officer has been in negotiations at the Crossrail project all day.  More info and contact details below.  E.I.S. Electical working on the BFK (BAM FERROVIAL KIER) CROSS RAIL tunnelling contract company have been removed for hi-lighting saftey issue.

Unite saftey rep Rodney Valentine was removed from site immediately after he was elected he was suspended from site for 6 weeks and eventually transferred to another project where he worked for 1 week before being suspended again he is now approaching his 3rd week.  Ring Rodney Valentine on 07734246045. 

Unite shop steward Frank Morris was banned from the construction site after raising saftey issues on the tunnel boring machine he was removed from site and placed in a site hut for 11 hours per day with absolutley no job to do in solitary confinement.  Ring Frank Morris on 07779782904.

E.I.S. electrical supervisor was removed from project after taking a picture of 11000V HIGH VOLTAGE CABLE which was lying under bolders and had scaffold clips and boards thrown on it because he took the picture to present to the in house saftey team he was removed by main contractors BFk's MR Horrello working on behalf of Ferrovial.  We have the photos.

BFK have decided to relieve themselves off all responsibility and Terminated E.I.S. contract mid term even though there is a further 3 years on the contract and other recruitment agencies are actively recruiting positions and even actively poaching E.I.S. employees. 

Unite the Union sees it this a attack on the union organisation. The primary motive for the removal of E.I.S. from the westboune project is to to remove a unionised workfore who's representatives wanted to participate in the safe opperation of the BFK Westbourne Park cross rail project.

Harry Cowap 07812678228 is Unite the Union regional officer
'the saftey rep has done nothing wrong;
the shop steward has done nothing wrong;
the men employed on site were doing a good job;
E.I.S. the company has done nothing wrong'
above are the words of E.I.S. Managing Director Ron Turner managing director 07980745729

Notes from a 'Week of the Rank & File':

Stewart Hume has been reinstated.  A great victory and a massive well done to all our Scottish brothers!  There is power in the Union. We know it and so do the employers.   We have just had a great week for the ‘Rank and File’.

1] The threat of walkouts at Grangemouth and protests on all Balfour Beatty Engineering Services [BBES] sites was just too much for the blacklisting wretches! BBES were forced to reinstate the ‘sacked’ Rank and Filer, Stewart Hume. There is power in the union & the ‘Rank and File’ and when we are on the march are unstoppable. Put that in your pipe[work] and smoke it Mr Harvey.

2] Last week the National ‘Rank and File’ committee met with Unite's Assistant General Secretary, Gail Cartmail, and National officer Bernard [moving forward] Macauly. It was a good meeting, though there were no massive gains, but we weren’t expecting any really Unite like to tread carefully 'musn’t break then anti Trade Union laws now must we'!

A] Crown house was discussed, with still no sign of the ‘sign or be sacked’ letter. We have got them [CH] on the run so let’s keep at the b******s!.

B] Blacklisting was discussed, and our demands to get our blacklisted brothers in work. Unite seem to be warming to the idea so watch this space.
The Scottish Select Committee met last Tuesday and we hear that Gail Cartmail gave 'em what for thanks for that better late than never.

C] The ‘crap’ pay deal was mentioned..........It’s a joke/piss take.......... No pay increase until June 2013 a 1.5% increase in first year, well below inflation. Unite are sending out letters with the full details and strongly recommending that their members DO NOT accept the offer. This is a consultative ballot for possible industrial action up to and including STRIKE ACTION.

Unite ‘Rank and File’ construction workers say NO!... NO!!!..... NO!!!!!!

Make sure you put your cross in the right box REJECT THE OFFER and get ready for strike action. A resounding rejection is essential.

We should also be receiving paperwork on ‘Blacklisting’, please fill that in too.

D] Play by the rules was also on the meeting agenda, we know that the employers are breaking the rules all day every day. Please contact your local office, Unite say they will follow up any complaints, so keep the info coming in.

Finally, a new copy of ‘Siteworker' is done, anyone needing copies please let us know by emailing siteworkers@virginmedia.com and we will post them out to you. For more info please visit..... Electricians Against The World

http :// www.jibelectrician.blogspot.com/
Keep in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Just another week in the life of the rank and File eh! Solidarity forever.

Protest at Balfour Beatty in Glasgow

Protest call against Balfour Beatty:

At 10am on Friday 24th August at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services HQ, Lumina Building, 40 Ainslie Road, Hillington Park, Glasgow, G52 4RU

The protest is being called jointly by: Blacklist Support Group and UNITE Scottish Sparks Rank & File:

Balfour Beatty is one of the worst of all the blacklisting firms with six Enforcement Orders against the company by the Information Commissioners Office because of their role in the Consulting Association scandal.  Gerry Harvey - Director of Human Resources for Balfour Beatty Engineering Services Limited - is a proven blacklister having been identified in parliament and in court. Balfour Beatty is continuing to victimise workers who raise concerns about safety issues including: Jonathan Carr from Birmingham and Alan Dransfield from the South West.  Balfour Beatty were also the lead firm attempting to drive down wages and de-skill the electrical contracting industry during the recent BESNA dispute. Electricians in Scotland involved in the dispute have been targeted by Balfour Beatty for redundancy (when no other workers were made redundant on the entire site).

Francie Graham and Steuart Merchant represent blacklisted workers in the attached press cuttings. Spread the word – let’s make this a big one.

http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWz0O5JzGbU&feature=plcp

http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhtysi-w7eY&feature=g-upl

Stop Press from the Blacklist Support Group

1. The Observer will be running a major article on the blacklist this Sunday (sorry for the mix up last weekend - it wasn't our fault)

2. We made the last issue of Private Eye page 31 (its the one with Boris and Cameron on the front page).

3. There was a meeting with Christian Khan Solicitors about the complaint against police collusion to the IPCC last week - more news to follow

4. There was a meeting organised by the GMB at Liberty (the human rights organisation) earlier this week - more news to follow

5. New BLACKLISTED T-shirts of various sizes now in stock - they will be handed out free when we turn up for the photo-opportunity outside the High Court later in the year

(its 100% all systems go on this one)

6. Liam Dunne at Guney, Clarrk & Ryan is taking witness statements and particulars of claims over the next few weeks. You know what to do if you haven't sorted things yet.

ldunne@guneyclarkryan.com
7. The attachment is for the UNITE rank n file construction meeting on 11th August in Conway Hall - blacklisting is one of the main items on the agenda.  It is the actions of the rank n file sparks during the BESNA dispute that has put blacklisting on the agenda at the construction industry national negotiation for the first time ever.

8. The link below is for the e-petition calling for full disclosure of government documents in the case of the Shrewsbury Pickets. Please support: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Justice_for_Shrewsbury_Pickets_40_years_on/?efsicbb

Trade Union Report on Blacklisting

The GMB union Congress in Brighton has today seen the publication of a new report 'BLACKLISTING - illegal corporate bullying endemic, systemic and deep-rooted in Carillion and other companies'

Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary said:
'This GMB report pulls back the curtain of secrecy to give a glimpse as to the way that employers like Carillion have illegally used their power and money to blacklist citizens and to deny them their rights to employment.


The report shows that the level of wrong doing and abuse around this blacklisting is the construction industry’s equivalent of phone hacking by newspapers and is equally serious. For far too long, vested interests have sought to ignore these discriminatory activities of Carillion and others. GMB is going to campaign to expose these activities. GMB will call on politicians to bring social justice to the victims of blacklisting by these companies. Carillion and others should apologise and compensate victims who have fallen foul of their illegal activities.'

GMB REPORT IDENTIFIES 224 VICTIMS OF CARILLION BLACKLISTING ACROSS THE UK

 GMB report pulls back the curtain of secrecy to give a glimpse as to the way that employers like Carillion have illegally used their power and money to blacklist citizens and to deny them their rights to employment. The Information Commissioner has confirmed that 224 construction workers from around the UK were victims of blacklisting by Carillion. These names, on the files of the blacklisting body The Consulting Association, were released in the course of an Employment Tribunal earlier this year when Carillion was accused of blacklisting a construction worker in London.

The 224 people blacklisted by Carillion were either based in or tried to obtain work in the following areas ( with numbers in the area listed in brackets): Barnsley (1), Birkenhead (2), Blackburn (5), Brentwood (1), Bristol (1), Caernarfon (2), Canvey Island in Essex (1), Chatham in Kent (3), Cheshire (1), Chester (1), Cleator Moor in Cumbria (1), Clwyd (5), Croydon (1), Derby (1), Dundee (1), Edinburgh (2), Ellesmere Port (3), Essex (1), Folkestone (1), Gateshead (1), Glasgow (1), Gravesend (1), Grimsby (1), Hartlepool (2), Hillingdon (1), Irvine (1), Isle of Man (10), Kent (58), Kirkby (1), Leeds (2), Liverpool (14), Livingston (3), Llandudno (1), London (39), Lowestoft (1), Manchester (13), Merseyside (5), Mold (1), North Wales (1), Oldham (1), Plymouth (1), Rayleigh (1), Romford (2), Rotherham (4), Scunthorpe (1), Sheffield (1), Sherburn in Elmet in North Yorkshire (1), Stanford-le-Hope in Essex (2), Sunderland (1), Surrey (1), Thatcham in Berkshire (1), Uxbridge (3), Warrington (1), West Wickham (1), Wirral (5) and Woodbridge in Suffolk (1). See map below for aggregated details. Some areas are listed more than once as the addresses on the blacklist are not complete.

Blacklisting by Carillion was not something isolated or rare. The GMB report estimates that in one quarter that Carillion checked 2,776 names with the Consulting Association and in the period from October 1999 to April 2004 it estimates that Carillion checked at least 14,724 names.

The Blacklist Support Group praise the GMB for producing the report and consider it to be an important contribution in the campaign to fully expose the role of Carillion in the illegal conspiracy.

Steve Kelly, spokesperson for the Blacklist Support Group commented:

'Blacklisted workers welcome this important report by the GMB which shines a light on the dirty tricks that this multi-national used against workers prepared to stand up for their rights or raise concerns about safety in the building industry. Unfortunately Carillion now seems to be bringing these vile anti-union practices into the NHS and other projects publicly funded.  The Blacklist Support Group are proud to have assisted the GMB in the production of this report. We hope that the report will be shared amongst public authorities and in regions where workers have been blacklisted by Carillion, the firm should be removed from any approved contractors list for future publicly funded projects in that area. Labour Councils especially have a role to play in ensuring that their contractors comply with at least basic standards of corporate responsibility; which means not victimising and blacklisting trade union members.'

A recent blacklisting Employment Tribunal judgment in London in March 2012 (Case no 1310709/2009) the judge said 'It seems to us that he has suffered a genuine injustice and we greatly regret that the law provides him with no remedy'.

On Tuesday 12th June, Dave Smith (the blacklisted worker in the above case) will be giving evidence to the parliamentary blacklisting investigation being carried out by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee chaired by Ian Davidson MP.

2pm Tues 12th June 2012

Committee Room 8

Houses of Parliament, Westminster

From Blacklisting to BESNA!

HVCA are employing an individual called Steve Quant who used to work for SCANSKA. He was apparently sacked by SKANSKA because he was involved in the blacklisting of construction workers. It is reported that he later became employed as 'Ian Kerr's right-hand man': Mr Kerr, who set up the now disbanded firm The Consulting Association in the Midlands, pleaded guilty to keeping an illegal data base in 2009 in the Knutsford Crown Court and was fined £5,000 plus costs. Steve Quant is now reported to be involved in promoting the new controversial BESNA proposals for electricians in the British building trade.

Sparks report on actions today, 7th December

Manchester

We are inside the town hall addressing the mp's at the full council meeting as to whythey have awarded the contract of Manchester town hall and library to baileys the blacklisters and one of the party of 7 who wish to impose a 35% pay cut and de skilling of our industry. Please forward to everyone you know.

London

Shut Blackfriars this morning good tear up with rozzers 1 lad nicked. Then bb hq victoria, then grattes victoria. Blackfriars again tonight to stop nightshift going in at 6 pm.

Hartlepool Demonstration

At least 200 and closer to 300 assembled at the Vic Dock entrance to Heerema. Then a march to the Greenland Road entrance of the company.

About 8:30 we decided to march back to our starting point at Vic Dock. Initially the police were unhappy about us marching back on the main road but relented after arguments. Because of the police being argumentative the march accidentally split into two so that we marched in both directions round a roundabout of the main road into Hartlepool. There was a bit of a traffic jam but had the police listened to us in the first place there would not have been any disruption to traffic.

On the way to Vic Dock the police instructed us to march on the pavement but after discussions while marching the police agreed we could march on the road. Then almost at the end of the march the police in display of wanton aggression decided to block our route and started using force to stop us marching any further. One lad was grabbed and manhandled by 2 or 3 cops. Instinctively people went to his rescue and he was released. We then marched through the police lines to our destination about 200 yards further on. Why the police should want to display such gratuitous and reckless behaviour was beyond the belief of everyone.

Then a police sergeant told us that while the demonstration was generally peaceful and good natured the march he said was unlawful and there were he told us some antagonistic elements amongst us.

Heerema has been told that as long as they employ a cowboy outfit like Balfours they will NEVER get industrial peace. We are going to demonstrate at their front door week after week and if need be every day. Indeed if Balfours continues on its reckless union busting adventures we shall be forced to occupy Heerema to have discussions with the management.

Conoco and Corus should not think they are immune to such behaviour either. These employers also will never get industrial peace while they welcome the likes of Balfours.

Rank & File demo gets the goods at Unite offices in Newcastle?

An Electrician & Unite member writes about this morning's demonstration outside the Unite offices in Newcastle: At 7:30 a.m. this morning, about 12 of us demonstrated at the Unite offices in Newcastle. Shortly after we started on the megaphones Tim Bush, a Unite official, came out to speak to us.

We told him we wanted printing of our leaflets done, we want union offices used as resource centres where people can meet and plan actions. We want phone and email, we want transport to places of actions. We want up to date contact lists of all construction workers. We want to see that Unite officials are on our side.

Tim Bush said the union could not be seen to back or organise any form of unofficial demonstrations calling for strike action or any other unlawful actions. We understood and agreed that the union had to protect itself, but there were lots of things it could do anonymously in the background.

One such thing we said could be for the union to hire a mini bus to go to various actions. Tim Bush attacked us for cancelling the bus Unite officials had organised to go to London on the 9th November. The official union bus was to get to London for 11 a.m. to hear speeches from the union full time officials. We had to remind Tim Bush that we organised our own transport to get to London for the 7 a.m. demonstration at the Pinnacle because the union had refused to do what we wanted.

We then wanted to know about using the union offices as a resource centre where we could have meetings and do printing. He wasn't hostile to these suggestions, but he said printing leaflets could be problematical, he had to discuss what we wanted with "others". So we then invited ourselves inside the union offices for tea and coffee. We went to the top floor into a wonderful sort of canteen with settees and armchairs and all mod cons. Ideal for what we wanted as a place to meet other activists. Tim wasn't too sure about this because he said the room was used by staff who operated the union national computer system.

After a fairly friendly, certainly not antagonistic, meeting we agreed to send him our list of proposals that we would like the union to agree to.

These are the brief notes made of what we would like from the union the full list or any amendments would be made after talking to people on Teeside after the demonstration at Conoco:

1 Printing & communication resources
2 Meeting room
3 Minibus
4 Meetings with recallable Rank & File delegates
5 An unofficial presence of unite officials on demos/pickets
6 A continuing updated list of new construction sites and date when they start
7 A national demonstration to be called on Teeside at say Conoco, Corus or Heerema
8 Provide up to date contact lists of ALL construction workers

One thing that came out of the meeting was that the union had to appeal to members and to those who were not members that the union was on their side, it was not remote and that it would defend their jobs, their wages and their terms and conditions.

Also a VERY big thank you for the Unite members and all the others who turned out. None of us were particularly happy about taking part in a public demonstration against our union but we all felt that it had been a worthwhile exercise. We also hoped there would be no need for it to be repeated.

An escalating struggle on Teeside against the BESNA

Unite the Union rank and file members demonstrated on both Monday and Wednesday this week at Corus on Teeside against the Building Engineering Services National Agreement (BESNA). Here are some more words from the frontline from electricians and siteworkers about their experiences, thoughts and feelings about this week, and the escalation of the dispute:

"Monday the 14th of November during another excellent demonstration by the north east rank and file at Corus steel in Redcar. 18 SPIE employees and 50 Balfour employees voted to withdraw their labour in support of the lads at the gate. With the rank and file present there was around 180 sparks across both gates.

Word soon spread to Conoco Philips in Seal Sands, Billington: 20 SPIE men who had cabined up in solidarity then voted to withdraw their labour, word spreading to other SPIE sites. 34 men then removed their workforce followed by 9 men at Sabic chemical site in Wilton, Redcar.

By mid-day Sabic in North Tees another 11 men walked off the site, the 4 lads at Dawsons yard in Middlesbrough walked prompting lads on small 2-man gas board local gas board jobs to walk. Although some of these numbers are small it is still 100 percent of the work force on each site. Maybe next time the Balfour and SPIE lads at Lindsey Oil will follow?"

"The two actions that we had at Corus on Monday and Wednesday of this week were hugely successful.

Our actions are spreading, becoming more generalised politically and, more importantly, involving different groups of workers and others in the trade union movement.

However the Wednesday action did show up weaknesses of organisation, a lack of real discussion between different workers subject to JIB and NAECI, shortcomings in advance planning of demonstrations and a lack of post action discussion.

We have come a long, long way from our first action at the RVI but as we get bigger and more effective weaknesses in organisational matters are beginning to show. Paradoxically this is good sign because it shows things are moving along at a speed that we are struggling to keep up with.

Just about everything we have done so far has been a success that we have achieved BY OURSELVES without ANY official union help, support or encouragement. It looks like this state of affairs will continue. We have to step up to the mark or we are lost."

In their own words: Electricians shut down Corus at Teeside this morning

The words of electricians on the demonstration at Corus on Teeside this morning:

"We have has a great day, 200 sparks and their supporters blocked both entrances to the Corus Steel works, over 50 Balfour Beatty sparks walked, some of them refusing to cross our picket, the lads were tooting horns as they turned their cars round, this was just one gate, the 200 sparks split to cover both entrances and there was more success, the traffic was tailed back some 2 miles with the average wait to enter the site for those not involved in the dispute of 1and a half hours. The lads employed by Mathew Hall did not cross either The police became so frustrated at this that they arrested one of our number; X was later released without charge. We will be back on Wednesday for some more and this time we want 300 plus on the gate."

And another voice with longer thoughts:

"We had 200 demonstrators at Corus steel today. This really was a magnificent turnout. All the sparks either walked off the job or didn't turn up for work.

There were HUNDREDS of cars waiting on the very busy dual carriageway approach roads to the steelworks while we talked to people going in to work.

X, one of our demonstrators, was arrested for obstructing traffic. Immediately we formed ranks on the main road and blocked the traffic. We demanded to know from the police inspector why X had been lifted. He promised X would be released in half an hour without charge. We therefore left the road and sure enough X was released without charge.

All of these demonstrations the rank & file have organised are slowly reinforcing the lessons of trade unionism – stick together and fight the employer, the employer is the enemy. These lessons learnt over many years of struggle were lessons that employers, New Labour and full time officials had hoped were lost for good.

BUT, to emphasise that these basic lessons are not lost we have heard that lads at Ratcliffe walked out in support of SPIE and Balfours walkouts at Corus.

This fight to protect national agreements IS WINNABLE if we stick together and focus on and target the employer. Some may not like this to be said but the full time officials will not help us. In fact they will sabotage us at the slightest chance. We have to continue OUR demonstrations that WE the rank and file organise. It is these rank and file demonstrations that forced the full time officials to organise a national ballot and the demonstration in London last Wednesday. Without us, the rank and file, taking unofficial action we would probably be on £10 an hour or been sacked.

If the employers can get away with abolishing the JIB agreements then they will do the same with all other national agreements such as NAECI. Therefore THIS Wednesday we plan to go back to Corus to support the NAECI agreements and to tell the employers to back off from abolishing NAECI or else.

So be there for another dawn Corus this Wednesday at 6:30 am"

Sparks day out in London, 9th November 2011

No words needed here, just watch this superb 12-minute film of the Electricians roving demonstration last Wednesday 9th November.

Wednesday's building site disputes across the country

AT least 5 van loads of workers and many deliveries refused to cross picket lines at the Balfour Beatty Carrington Paper Mill site in Manchester on Wednesday this week.

Protests also took place in Liverpool, Govan and Newcastle.

In London, sparks protested outside Balfour Beatty Blackfriars Station site before blocking roads through the centre of The City and arriving at Cannon Street and invading the Gratte Brothers site, where they unfurled a banner proclaiming 'ALL POWER TO THE SPARKS'.

When it was pointed out to the Site Agent that pay rates were being cut from £16 to £10 an hour, he replied 'I'd put the scumbags on £1 an hour if it was up to me.' So guess where the demo's going to be next Wednesday at 7am?

Police have informed the union that if the London action continues, they will issue Section 14 Notices under the Public Order Act - which would effectively make any gathering illegal and allow for pickets to be arrested if they continued to protest after the Notice has been served.

There was a journalist and a photographer from the London Evening Standard at the protest on Wednesday morning - but not a single word in the paper. Nine weeks since it started, there is a complete mainstream media black-out on this story - wonder why?

---

ALL OUT on Wed 9th NOV. Construction Industry National Day of Action - LONDON,
7am Pinnacle (near Liverpool Street).
 
We already have reports of 200 workers from 1 construction project voting to walk-out that day, with coaches already booked. We are expecting thousands.

Yesterday's North East demo by the Unite union at Ashington School

SIXTY people started the demonstration well before dawn. The site is off a main road and to get to it you have to go down a fairly narrow pathway just wide enough for traffic in one direction. The site is Kier, and Balfours is the electrical contractor. At the start the site manager was very unhappy at us demonstrating on private land that we did not have permission to be on. He complained that we were causing a traffic jam on the main road outside the site. Nevertheless we stayed our ground to put our case to those going into work. Twenty electricians walked off from the site.

Then the police arrived but were fine especially when we had a talk with them about their terms and conditions being undermined especially by the employment of special constables who did the work on a voluntary basis. These police seemed to understand though they did not say so that they were facing the same attacks as every other private and public sector employee. After an hour or so senior national mangers of Kier and Balfours arrived. These people were not happy at being stopped by and then forced to drive through a very noisy demonstration but by the time they got onto the pathway into the site they couldn't turn round. After a while we saw them skulking around the site not looking too happy. We all considered this was a very good demonstration especially as it was in a fairly isolated place, it buoyed people up quite a lot.

Although we have still not seen ANY full time official from Unite at ANY of our demonstrations, we will continue to invite them at our next demonstration planned for the very future. So we live in hope that we might see a North East full time official Unite. Does anyone know why the North East regional office of Unite appear to refuse to its members any help, support or encouragement?

Hartlepool Unite Union Meeting with the notorious union boss Bernard McAuley

THE meeting on 10th October 2011, was hosted by Hartlepool Construction branch. It was chaired by Tom Geach the chair of the Hartlepool branch. With visitors and supporters there were about 70 there. Bernard McAuley gave a pretty factual account of the situation that most people probably knew. He listed the main changes that the employers were seeking to impose:

1/ cut wages by at least 25%

2/ working day to be determined by the employer.

3/ employers want NVQ Level 2 rates of pay. All trades would be at this grade after 2 years

4/ employers to offer training by the company BEST.

5/ employers to decide who gets NVQ qualifications.

6/ the employer to decide what trade you would be employed as.

7/ employers want lists of union members.

8/ employers to decide if you get travelling and lodgings allowance.

9/ employers to be allowed to lay off people and put workers on short-time working.

Pre-empting questions about a ballot for strike action Bernard McAuley said this was difficult to organise because he had to obtain an up to date list of members and this was very difficult but by Tuesday of next week (18th October) at the latest he would be in a position to let people know what was happening. There was to be a shop stewards meeting in London. We can't he said allow just anybody in. To obtain credentials to attend people had to apply to their regional officials or regional secretary. Bernard McAuley also said:

1. agencies would be instructed by employers to recruit 'electrical improvers'. These were trades at the lowest possible rate because this would be the rate that employers would quote for contracts.

2. people should work together by addressing problems on a site by site basis as individuals.

3. a good tactic was to work to rule.

4. the only time results have occurred was following unofficial action.

5. the union had organised the demonstration in Oxford Street.

Bernard McAuley spoke for about an hour in complete silence. He then sat down to a stony silence. Not a single person said a single word until the chair called for questions and contributions from the floor. The main demand was for a national ballot NOW for all out strike action. The next demand was for unofficial strike action and picketing of all sites. Many times Bernard McAuley told us that the first was difficult to organise and the second was impossible because of anti trade union legislation. Several people said the union never placed any real pressure on the Labour government to repel these laws. Bernard McAuley also said following calls by Siteworker to email him he had received at least a thousand emails calling for a national ballot. He had or would reply to every single one. Bernard McAuley was also informed that Bill Green had said the advice of the union NOT to sign the new agreement but if people refused and were sacked the union would be unable to help. Bernard McAuley said nothing. Mention was made of the email sent in Bernard McAuley's name regarding a 'cancerous cell'. The intention of this said Bernard McAuley was in the context that everybody had to work together for the common good. It had rattled cages he said but he had also been hauled over the coals for it by McCluskey.

There was a lot of frustration in this meeting. People it seemed had attended expecting Bernard McAuley and the union generally to offer real solutions to the problems posed by the employers onslaught but there was nothing of any real substance except the union has your best interests at heart and calls to recruit to the union. There were calls for a committee like the one on Tyneside to coordinate and plan actions but this was left to be decided on another day. However after the meeting there was an unofficial meeting of a group to possibly organise unofficial actions.

Sparks Protest This Wednesday: The Big One!

SPARKS PROTEST AGAINST 35% PAY CUT & DE-SKILLING
7:00am Wed 19th October
Balfour Beatty
Blackfriars Station construction project
London

Balfour Beatty are the driving force behind the proposed 35% pay cut and de-skilling of electricians by the rogue employers withdrawing from the JIB National agreement.

Balfour Beatty have issued Termination Notices to 1700 workers telling them that their contracts of employment will end on 7th December.

Balfour Beatty are offering new contracts at £10 p/h (compared to the current £16.25 p/h) - anyone refusing to sign the new contract will be sacked.

Balfour Beatty are one of the worst anti-union blacklisting firms in the construction industry - 6 companies within the Balfour Beatty group were issued Prohibition Notices by the ICO for their role in the illegal Consulting Association blacklist used against union reps.

THIS IS THE BIG ONE

We intend to shut this building site by sheer force of numbers if need be

Saltley Gate
Orgreave
Wapping
Blackfriars

If you only turn up to one protest during this dispute - make it this one - spread the word

For more info contact Alan keys at: siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Action from the London demos at Oxford Street and Tate Modern, plus the walk out at Radcliffe-on-Soar power station (see above video)

For previous films on the campaign, and many others, visit the Reel News YouTube channel

This mornings demos by British sparks

PROTESTS by angry electricians spread across the country as the fierce dispute against a new wage agreement entered its sixth week.

This morning protests were staged at building jobs being run by M&E firms Tommy Clarke, Shepherd and Balfour Beatty Engineering Services.

Several hundred electricians, members of the country’s largest trade union Unite, staged a protest at the big Park House shopping centre job on London’s Oxford Street.

The protest went ahead despite attempts by Scotland Yard to call it off after complaints from neighbouring stores, and resulted in a strong police presence.

Park House was targeted as its major M&E package contractor, Tommy Clarke, is one of eight rogue breakaway building services firms seeking to impose a new working rule agreement called BESNA.

In Liverpool, up to 100 workers were reported to be planning protests this morning outside the big central library site where Shepherd Engineering is working.

In Scotland electricians protested outside Balfour Beatty Engineering Services’ job at Cambuslang fire station in Lanarkshire.

In Manchester, 30 electricians picketed outside the Town Hall/ Library site as the Tory Party Conference continued across the road, protesting against the electrical contractor N.G. Baileys: formerly a subscriber to The Consulting Association's 'blacklist services'. The police were called (presumably by the main contractor on the site) with a complaint that the pickets were 'flyposting' but, after some consultation, the police allowed the protest to continue.

Unions claim moves to combine five existing working rule agreements into a single deal will erode wages and conditions, by introducing a semi-skilled rate for installers.

This new installer grade will be below a fully qualified electrician pay rate.

The rate of pay for electricians would fall from £16.25 p/h to £10 p/h

Eddie Current (sparks rank & file spokesperson) said to the protest in Oxford Street:

'This dispute is not about Polish or Portuguese workers. It is about money grabbing multi-national building firms, trying to drive up their profits by driving down our wages. If they think we're just going to just meekly accept a 35% pay cut and de-skilling of our industry - they can think again.'

SPARK'S DISPUTES TODAY

TEXT MESSAGE at 8.39 a.m.:

300 electricians have invaded Cross Rail Farringdon site against the eight companies who have pulled out of the JIB.

Tyne Tunnel Blockade by sparks in Newcastle.

Demos in both Liverpool and Manchester. The Manchester one started at 6.30 a.m. outside Manchester Town Hall and was expected to transfer to Media City on Salford Quays at 10 a.m.

Next London demo will be at Kings Cross next Wednesday.