From 7.30am this morning, at The Channel Tunnel Rail Link Site, Phoenix Road, London NW, Rhythms of Resistance samba band played in support of Laing
O'Rourke workers sit-in.

Workers at the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) site at Kings Cross, held a sit-in strike this Friday morning over the barring of trade union reps at their worksite.

Buoyed up by the samba beats, around 150 workers, employed by construction giant Laing O'Rourke, downed tools and refused to work until Union reps from the GMB were allowed on site.

Workers at Laing O'Rourke's sites at Canary Wharf, Terminal 5, Newham
Hospital, Ascot, Birmingham and Liverpool have been under pressure to
sign a new contract from the comapny which will see the basic rate of
pay halved, cuts of £20 per day for holiday pay, bonuses paid at the
discretion of management and a period of 40 days notice given for days
off.

Workers were told that if they do not sign the new contract, they
will be sacked. Construction Union UCAAT has told workers to sign the
contract despite there having been no ballot or negotiation with Laing.

The GMB (General Municipal and Boilermakers Union) has been barred off
the site in violation of established construction industry agreements.

The contract has been rebranded 'the contrick' by workers and most at
the CTRL site are standing their ground in refusing it and
representation by UCAAT which has been accused of entering into a
'sweetheart deal' with Laing.

Steve Cross from the joint sites committee said that in forcing management to back down this morning, the workers had won round one of a 12 round fight. Everything is still to play for, but at the moment the workers are ahead on points.

Contact Steve Hedley, Joint Sites Committee 07985 438 301