The Socialist 5 June 2009 Action to defend union rights Vauxhall jobs threat - unions must organise a fightback Royal Mail sell-off - Time for action! Battling against the blacklist Prepare now for next election challenge European elections: Putting forward a workers' alternative A Parliament of celebrities and a speaker of integrity Aston University socialists fight for student democracy Sussex University: Save Linguistics campaign Socialist youth conference and protest Youth Fight for Jobs: Fortnight of action 27 June to 10 July NATO anniversary: 60 years of aggression and terror The Frock-Coated Communist: the revolutionary life of Friedrich Engels Tiananmen Square 1989: Counter-revolution crushes China's democracy movement |
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Home | The Socialist 5 June 2009 | Join the Socialist Party Battling against the blacklistManchester electrician Colin Trousdale wrote this diary to illustrate the effect of the blacklist clearly being operated by some construction employers.
Tuesday 12 MayGot a phone call for a start for an agency. First sniff of work in over five months. Wednesday 13 MayGot to site - Media city, the BBC's new home. Starting for principal electrical contractor's sub-contractor. Refused entrance to principal electrical contractor's site induction and transferred 20 miles to another site. Got a phone call at 2.30pm saying that I could go home as my services were no longer required due to a clerical mix up in the amount of sparks needed. Went back to Media City. Spoke to the site convenor, got reinstated to Fab shop for duration of my contract (12 days). Thursday 14 MayGot a phone call to say that I was finishing Friday. Friday 15 MayHanded in my grievance letter for breach of contract. Monday 18 MayNo response to my letter, no work. Tuesday 19 MayMyself and two other blacklisted electricians, supplemented by Brian Bamford, Tameside TUC and Andy Ford, Warrington TUC (thanks lads) set up a peaceful protest outside the site. 7.30am, approached by convenor, asked our aims and how long we intended to be there. The answer of "duration of the job" brought a wince. 11.00am the convenor came out and said he was trying to organise a meeting. We packed up the banners for the day and left. 12.00 got a phone call - could I come back for a meeting? Met with principal electrical contractor's labour manager who said they weren't blacklisting. I showed him my file with his company's name on it . He apologised and reinstated me, giving me three weeks work via the agency but for the company not a subbie, so the rate was a bit better. This just goes to show the power of unity. I can only thank my comrades and assure them that I will make every endeavour to get them working too. In this issue
Workplace news and analysis
Socialist Party election campaign
Youth
Socialist Party feature
Socialist Party review
Marxist analysis: history
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