Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/697/13289
From The Socialist newspaper, 7 December 2011
Defend the JIB, victory to the sparks!
Rob Williams, Chair, National Shop Stewards Network
Electricians working for Balfour Beatty (BBES) have spoken for all electricians in the construction industry and voted overwhelmingly to strike to defend their national pay agreements - the Joint Industry Board (JIB).
BBES has an order book of £15 billion and had made nearly £100 million in profits in the last six months but they want to slash wages by 35%.
Facing all the obstacles and complications that have given the employers such an advantage for years - low union membership, lack of shop stewards, agency labour, the blacklist etc, Unite and especially the Rank and File Committee have pulled off an incredible result.
Unsurprisingly, BBES has sought and secured a legal injunction against the ballot to stop the strike on 7 December - the day that BBES workers face having the new contracts (BESNA) imposed on them.
This has caused the union to call off the strike and re-ballot. But even if Unite re-ballots, the dispute must continue and escalate unofficially. Whatever the law says, the massive YES vote has legitimised this struggle.
Meetings in London and Glasgow on 3 December put the call out for unofficial strike action at BBES and the other companies looking to withdraw from the JIB and impose the BESNA terms. It's been reported that workers are joining the union in the next two companies to be balloted, NG Bailey and Tommy Clarkes. This shows the potential for a national stoppage in the industry.
The best signal yet are the stoppages that have already taken place over the last four months and are actually escalating. Corus Teesside, Lindsey, Saltend, Ratcliffe, West Burton, Carrington, Farringdon, Blackfriars, Kings Cross and countless more sites have seen walkouts.
In Glasgow on Saturday, 150 sparks met to decide that there will be an unofficial strike in Grangemouth on 7 December. They then marched through the city singing and occupied the NG Baileys site off George Square.
In Cardiff over 50 electricians met to decide that there'll be action that day at Llandough Hospital.
BBES, on behalf of all the 'Dirty 7' construction contractors, are using the Tory anti-union laws to stop this strike, democratically voted for by a four to one margin, on a spurious technicality. Unite must now call for a national stoppage in the construction industry, even if unofficial.
BBES are panicking because of the threat of strike action and the unofficial stoppages that are taking place every week around the UK. There should be no secret deals to end this dispute but a total retreat by BBES and the other six companies. There has to be transparent negotiations in full view of the BBES workers and the members of the union.
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In The Socialist 7 December 2011:
Socialist Party feature
Con-Dems pile on the misery - 'Enough is enough'
Socialist Party editorial
Eurozone crisis - capitalists have no solution
Workplace news and analysis
Cuts and misery - it doesn't have to be like this
Socialist MEP supports public sector strike
"The genie is out of the bottle"
30 November strike: a historic day!
Building a fighting union - interview with Steve Hedley
Defend the JIB, victory to the sparks!
Reinstate Paul Kelly: Solidarity with Portsmouth RMT
Socialist Party news and analysis
Climate change
Climate change and extreme weather
Housing crisis
Homes Crisis: Fund housing need - not fat cat greed!
International socialist news and analysis
Portugal: Build on the general strike action
Ireland: Resist latest austerity attacks
Tamil Solidarity: Gearing up for 2012
Brazilian socialists remember Socrates
Socialist Party reviews
When workers planned production: the Lucas Aerospace plan
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