Thousands of workers in the UK energy industry have joined walk-outs in support of 650 contract employees sacked after staging wildcat strikes at a Total oil refinery.
The sacked construction workers, who walked out at the oil refinery operated by the French energy giant in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, have been given until Monday to reapply for their jobs.
Union members last night warned that Britain could face the prospect of energy shortages if the row in the industry escalates.
Contractors, including Jacobs and Shaw, have not been able to complete work for Total since last Thursday, when employees refused to turn up in protest at 51 redundancies.
More than 2,000 fellow contract workers in the energy industry walked out of refineries and power stations in support yesterday.
Unofficial action took place at Ellesmere Port and Fiddlers Ferry in Cheshire, Ferrybridge, Drax and Eggborough in Yorkshire, Ratcliffe in Nottinghamshire, Didcot in Oxfordshire, Wilton in Teesside and Aberthaw in South Wales.
Total has refused to negotiate with those on strike because the unions do not support the action and there has been no official ballot.
But union leaders yesterday condemned the heavy-handed tactics, accusing Total of "locking out" workers from discussions about returning to work.
"It seems pretty obvious that there is a case of victimisation taking place. Locking out the workforce will not solve the problem, it will escalate it," Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said.
Reports early yesterday suggested that Total was prepared to meet union leaders for a discussion with the help of the mediation body Acas, but it is understood that the prospect of talks broke down.
Bernard McAulay, a Unite national officer, arrived at the Lindsey site to try and help broker negotiations, but said that he found the management's actions "nothing but despicable".
Total estimates that 900 people had been involved in the strikes, but the jobs of 300 workers were last night safe after some contractors chose not to sack their staff.
However, the company defended its position of refusing to negotiate unless the workers returned to work.
"This is in line with the union and industry agreed process that negotiations over illegal strikes cannot commence until the workforce has returned to work," a Total spokesman said.
Why are the workers on strike?
The workers first refused to turn up for work last Thursday because they were unhappy that 51 people had been made redundant at the site, when, at the same time, another contractor had been hiring new staff.
It is understood that word about the unofficial industrial action spread by text message.
Why were they sacked?
The contractors say that the workers were sacked because holding unofficial strikes is illegal.
The law states that there must be an official ballot held by a union if there is going to be a scheduled walk-out .
Employers are usually reluctant to negotiate if the industrial action is not organised through the official union channels.
This isn't the first unrest at oil refineries?
No. The same contract staff walked out earlier this year in protest against migrant workers brought over from Portugal and Italy for a new project. Relations between the management and workers do not appear to have improved.
Could this affect the UK's energy supply?
This is unlikely. The workers at Lindsey are building a new part of the refinery, so there has been no effect on Total's energy output.
Other workers walking out in sympathy have also tended to be people involved in building work, maintenance or repairs, rather than operations.
However, if the discontent spreads, it is possible that other staff could be galvanised into supportive action.
Union members last night warned that Britain could face the prospect of energy shortages if the row in the industry escalates.
Contractors, including Jacobs and Shaw, have not been able to complete work for Total since last Thursday, when employees refused to turn up in protest at 51 redundancies.
More than 2,000 fellow contract workers in the energy industry walked out of refineries and power stations in support yesterday.
Unofficial action took place at Ellesmere Port and Fiddlers Ferry in Cheshire, Ferrybridge, Drax and Eggborough in Yorkshire, Ratcliffe in Nottinghamshire, Didcot in Oxfordshire, Wilton in Teesside and Aberthaw in South Wales.
Total has refused to negotiate with those on strike because the unions do not support the action and there has been no official ballot.
But union leaders yesterday condemned the heavy-handed tactics, accusing Total of "locking out" workers from discussions about returning to work.
"It seems pretty obvious that there is a case of victimisation taking place. Locking out the workforce will not solve the problem, it will escalate it," Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said.
Reports early yesterday suggested that Total was prepared to meet union leaders for a discussion with the help of the mediation body Acas, but it is understood that the prospect of talks broke down.
Bernard McAulay, a Unite national officer, arrived at the Lindsey site to try and help broker negotiations, but said that he found the management's actions "nothing but despicable".
Total estimates that 900 people had been involved in the strikes, but the jobs of 300 workers were last night safe after some contractors chose not to sack their staff.
However, the company defended its position of refusing to negotiate unless the workers returned to work.
"This is in line with the union and industry agreed process that negotiations over illegal strikes cannot commence until the workforce has returned to work," a Total spokesman said.
Why are the workers on strike?
The workers first refused to turn up for work last Thursday because they were unhappy that 51 people had been made redundant at the site, when, at the same time, another contractor had been hiring new staff.
It is understood that word about the unofficial industrial action spread by text message.
Why were they sacked?
The contractors say that the workers were sacked because holding unofficial strikes is illegal.
The law states that there must be an official ballot held by a union if there is going to be a scheduled walk-out .
Employers are usually reluctant to negotiate if the industrial action is not organised through the official union channels.
This isn't the first unrest at oil refineries?
No. The same contract staff walked out earlier this year in protest against migrant workers brought over from Portugal and Italy for a new project. Relations between the management and workers do not appear to have improved.
Could this affect the UK's energy supply?
This is unlikely. The workers at Lindsey are building a new part of the refinery, so there has been no effect on Total's energy output.
Other workers walking out in sympathy have also tended to be people involved in building work, maintenance or repairs, rather than operations.
However, if the discontent spreads, it is possible that other staff could be galvanised into supportive action.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
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