Workplace news in brief


Capenhurst victory

Construction workers on the Capenhurst construction site near Chester have fought off attempts to abandon the NAECI national agreement on terms and conditions. The project, to build containment facilities for nuclear waste, is being run by Urenco and Jacobs, who were trying to cut bonus payments and introduce other measures which would have cut the workers’ pay by around £100 a week.

After a number of protests, supported by workers from other major construction sites, the companies agreed to implement the national agreement in full.

Greencore victory

After succesful strike action, Greencore food workers in Hull have won their pay battle.

Grangemouth victory

BP tanker drivers from the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland have won a victory over attempted cuts to their pay and pensions. Some workers were threatened with losses of up to £13,000 a year.

But after a 72-hour strike and the scheduling of a four-day strike, the company made an agreement to prevent workers losing out as they transfer from BP to DHL.

The workers are aware of their powerful position in negotiations as ten million litres of fuel normally leave the refinery every day. With a work-to-rule and overtime ban being applied by the drivers as well as strike action, supplies to airports and garage forecourts were threatened.

The recent victory of Tesco truck drivers gave confidence to other drivers to defend their conditions.

Fire service cuts

On 5 March the public consultation exercise begins on proposals by the commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, supported by the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to close 12 fire stations, remove 18 engines and slash 520 frontline firefighter posts.

The consultation runs for 12 weeks, concluding on 18 May.

Firefighters’ union FBU believes the cuts would be dangerous and wrong, and would compromise public safety. According to the commissioner’s own predictions, the cuts would lead to 4.7 million Londoners across 20 boroughs waiting longer for a fire engine.

They are urging other workers to use the consultation procedure and protest about the cuts: https://www.citizenspace.com/app/london-fire-brigade/lsp5/consult_view