After three mass protests at the Fawley refinery near Southampton, contractors and Unite union members will begin strike action on 8 April, demanding a decent pay rise and sick pay in line with other workers at Fawley.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Exxon is filthy rich, making vast sums from high energy prices, including £6.25 billion in 2021 alone, yet it is colluding with these employers to reduce the workers’ incomes.
“They have no business whatsoever tabling a pathetic pay offer that is in fact a cut to wages, and absolutely not when RPI inflation is running at 8.2% and expected to climb higher.
“Unite’s top priority is our members’ jobs, pay and conditions, and our Fawley membership will have the union’s 100% support in their fight for a pay rise that reflects the cost of living.”
Unite regional officer Malcolm Bonnett says: “Unite’s Fawley members are utterly determined to win sick pay parity with the rest of the refinery’s workforce and a decent pay rise.
“Instead of letting the strikes drag on, causing more and more disruption to the refinery’s operations and clients, it is in Exxon’s and the employers’ interests to put forward an offer our members can accept.”
Socialist Party reporters
