<TABLE id=msgUN cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top> Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Workers on strike to protest against FTs</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">kojakbt22 <NOBR>
</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">6:02 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 9) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>6143.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Ah.... sorry, this did not happen in Singapore. It happened in UK....
(article from 2ndclasspple)
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Hundreds more refinery workers walk out
Police have been called to a series of wildcat strikes by energy workers as a protest about jobs being given to foreign workers spreads. Related content
There are demonstrations after a decision to bring in hundreds of Italian and Portuguese contractors to work on a new ?00 million plant at the giant Lindsey Oil Refinery at North Killingholme, North Lincolnshire.
The refinery dispute erupted after the company Total put the contract to build the new unit, which will allow the refinery to process crude oil with a higher sulphur content, out to tender and five UK firms and two European contractors bid for the work.
It was awarded to Italian company Irem on the basis that it was supplying its own permanent workforce. It is understood 100 Italian and Portuguese workers are on the site and they are expected to be joined by 300 more next month.
Hundreds of people are now protesting at the plant after contractors walked out on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the action has spread to other parts of the UK with more than 700 workers on strike at the giant Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland.
And police were called to the Aberthaw power station near Barry in Wales after workers staged a protest, while around 400 are demonstrating at the Wilton refinery near Redcar in Teesside where workers are picketing.
In Warrington, Cheshire, workers employed by a sub-contractor at the Fiddlers Ferry power station also went on strike this morning. Scottish and Southern Energy, which owns the site, said the action has not affected its operations.
In Lincolnshire, several hundred protesters gathered in a car park opposite the sprawling Lindsey refinery. Many are holding placards and banners expressing their anger at the situation.
One said "Right to Work UK Workers", while another banner read "In the wise words of Gordon Brown UK Jobs for British Workers".
Once assembled in the car park, the demonstrators were addressed by union leaders, who called on them to stand together in their protest. In heated exchanges, some protesters called on their colleagues to march on Downing Street to protest at the situation.
Bobby Buirds, a regional officer for the union Unite in Scotland, said the workers at Grangemouth were striking to protect British jobs.
"The argument is not against foreign workers, it's against foreign companies discriminating against British labour.
"If the job of these mechanical contractors at INEOS finishes and they try and get jobs down south, the jobs are already occupied by foreign labour and their opportunities are decreasing.
"This is a fight for work. It is a fight for the right to work in our own country. It is not a racist argument at all."
Unions will hold another meeting of Scottish shop stewards in Glasgow on Friday afternoon, and a further meeting on Monday, he said.
"They are picketing four gates around the refinery. The protest is peaceful and officers are monitoring the situation."
[email protected]
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(article from 2ndclasspple)
_________________________________________________________________
Hundreds more refinery workers walk out
Police have been called to a series of wildcat strikes by energy workers as a protest about jobs being given to foreign workers spreads. Related content
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- Jury out again in WPC murder trial
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There are demonstrations after a decision to bring in hundreds of Italian and Portuguese contractors to work on a new ?00 million plant at the giant Lindsey Oil Refinery at North Killingholme, North Lincolnshire.
The refinery dispute erupted after the company Total put the contract to build the new unit, which will allow the refinery to process crude oil with a higher sulphur content, out to tender and five UK firms and two European contractors bid for the work.
It was awarded to Italian company Irem on the basis that it was supplying its own permanent workforce. It is understood 100 Italian and Portuguese workers are on the site and they are expected to be joined by 300 more next month.
Hundreds of people are now protesting at the plant after contractors walked out on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the action has spread to other parts of the UK with more than 700 workers on strike at the giant Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland.
And police were called to the Aberthaw power station near Barry in Wales after workers staged a protest, while around 400 are demonstrating at the Wilton refinery near Redcar in Teesside where workers are picketing.
In Warrington, Cheshire, workers employed by a sub-contractor at the Fiddlers Ferry power station also went on strike this morning. Scottish and Southern Energy, which owns the site, said the action has not affected its operations.
In Lincolnshire, several hundred protesters gathered in a car park opposite the sprawling Lindsey refinery. Many are holding placards and banners expressing their anger at the situation.
One said "Right to Work UK Workers", while another banner read "In the wise words of Gordon Brown UK Jobs for British Workers".
Once assembled in the car park, the demonstrators were addressed by union leaders, who called on them to stand together in their protest. In heated exchanges, some protesters called on their colleagues to march on Downing Street to protest at the situation.
Bobby Buirds, a regional officer for the union Unite in Scotland, said the workers at Grangemouth were striking to protect British jobs.
"The argument is not against foreign workers, it's against foreign companies discriminating against British labour.
"If the job of these mechanical contractors at INEOS finishes and they try and get jobs down south, the jobs are already occupied by foreign labour and their opportunities are decreasing.
"This is a fight for work. It is a fight for the right to work in our own country. It is not a racist argument at all."
Unions will hold another meeting of Scottish shop stewards in Glasgow on Friday afternoon, and a further meeting on Monday, he said.
"They are picketing four gates around the refinery. The protest is peaceful and officers are monitoring the situation."
[email protected]
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