Leeds solidarity with Crossrail battle

Around 20 construction workers and their supporters held a protest outside the Leeds Arena construction site on the morning of 5 October, in opposition to the victimisation of trade unionists on the Crossrail construction project in London.

The Leeds site is being built by BAM, one of the companies in the consortium responsible for cancelling the contract of subcontractors EIS and removing 28 workers from the Crossrail site in Westbourne Park. This includes a Unite steward and safety rep.

If this were nothing to do with attacking trade unions, these workers should be immediately transferred (TUPE’d) to the new contractor responsible for finishing EIS’s part of the job.

The protest heard speeches from a number of construction electricians, and we distributed Socialist Party and Unite leaflets to workers going on to the site.

  • Protests against the sackings at Westbourne Park are continuing every day at the site, with weekly protests at other Crossrail sites.
Iain Dalton