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Sienmens Lincoln protest 28.6.19, photo by Keith Gibson   (Click to enlarge)

Construction workers protest in defence of union rights and against anti-worker EU

Keith Gibson and Janet Gibson, Hull Socialist Party

70 steel construction workers from Humberside and Yorkshire gathered outside Siemans' Turbine Factory, in Waterside, Lincoln on 28 June, to protest in defence of their trade union-agreed 'national agreement for the engineering construction industry' (NAECI).

Siemans will be the major contractor responsible for overseeing the subcontractor companies who will build the new 'combined-cycle gas turbine' at Keadby power station near Scunthorpe. The Keadby project will be a NAECI site, so why the protest?

The Lindsey oil refinery strikes in 2009 (see 'When militant action stopped the race to the bottom' at socialistparty.org.uk) successfully placed overseas steel construction workers under the protection of NAECI which guarantees national pay rates, terms and conditions.

The Lindsey strike also secured a new section of NAECI enforcing a 'contractual' right to equal opportunities.

Yet ten years on, these workers are still having to monitor, protest or strike against construction companies who utilise the EU's 'posted workers' directive' under the guise of 'freedom of movement' to employ overseas workers on the cheap.

This in turn has seen construction bosses breach the equal opportunity rights of UK construction workers. Little wonder the majority of steel construction workers understand the need to leave the EU bosses' club!

I addressed the protest, as a member of the Socialist Party and GMB union, voicing construction workers' anger at breaches in equal opportunities, against blacklisting, the circumventing of NAECI and the need for democratic accountability of trade union officials.

I proposed that the next step should be to lobby parliament in defence of NAECI against the EU's posted workers' directive. This was put to the vote and overwhelmingly passed.

I outlined the need for a workers' socialist Brexit and explained the need for international worker solidarity against construction companies attempting to override NAECI and workers' rights.

NSSN conference 2019

All welcome: Saturday 6 July, 11am - 4.30pm

Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

• £6 registration - pay on the day, or make a cheque out to National Shop Stewards Network and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
• Register in advance by emailing [email protected]
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In this issue

Workplace news

Angry Usdaw members strike at Sainsbury's distribution centre over sick pay cut

Sick of your boss? Join a union! Fight for socialism

Construction workers protest in defence of union rights and against anti-worker EU

Socialists in PCS union launch new group to fight general secretary election

Steps forward and missed opportunities at Unite rules conference

London Arriva bus drivers vote for strike action over bullying and workload

Birmingham school strike for safe working environment

Lancashire Stagecoach drivers continue their fight

Birmingham uni workers strike against terms and conditions attacks

What we think

Sinister moves against Corbyn can be beaten by clear socialist policies

News

Same old millionaire Tories - Fight to kick them out

Nationalisation is answer to Southern Water cover up

Gig-economy exploitation doubles

Even social-care bosses say cuts have gone too far

Them & Us

What we saw

Stonewall riots

Stonewall riots' legacy shows need for socialist struggle to win LGBT+ liberation

Socialist Party reports and campaigns

Socialist Party secures new offices

Angry Barking residents protest outside sales office

Tamil Solidarity Day: Linking up oppressed people's struggles

Coventry says no to congestion charge

Carlisle Labour/Lib Dem coalition cuts care home beds

Sell the Socialist and take out an e-subscription

Lincoln Uni NUS disaffiliation: a question of on-campus democracy

Stourbridge: Keep our college!

International socialist news and analysis

New opportunity to build working-class fightback after voters punish Erdogan

Irish health workers' anger boils over into strike action

Opinion

The Socialist inbox

TV: Years and Years - Engaging family drama pushes confused, reactionary message

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Related links:

Construction workers:

Sparks continue protests against deskilling

Construction electricians protesting against de-skilling, outside Balfour Beatty, Canary Wharf, London, on 10.3.21. Photo by Isai Priya

Hull construction workers force bosses to shut down site over health and safety fears

Hull: Construction workers' walkout forces employer to back down

Union:

Royal Mail: Unofficial walkouts precede bigger battle to come on pay and workload

Sheffield Just Eat couriers speak about strike

Employers use vaccine excuse to attack sick pay

Newham council rejects using 0.03% of reserves to fund arts

Workers:

10,000 tube workers vote to strike

Workplace news in brief

Coventry bin strike continues

Protest:

Demonstrating against the Tory anti-protest bill

London solidarity protest: Rio Tinto out of Serbia

EU:

Belarus refugees - caught between a rock and a hard place

Construction:

Scunthorpe scaffs strike into fifth week

Lindsey Oil Refinery:

Ten years since Lindsey strike: when militant action stopped the 'race to the bottom'

GMB:

Somers Forge workers continue pay strike