Oil and Power strikes: News, Resouces and analysis
KM | 03.02.2009 22:56 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | World
Seems worth publishing a few resources for those who want to think about the process, content and ramifications of the ongoing wildcat strikes that have been happening all over the UK since last week
Hundreds of polish workers join wildcat strikes - Tuesday 3rd Feb
600 workers, including hundreds of Polish workers, have walked out from Langage Power Station near Plymouth in solidarity with the wildcat actions sweeping across Britain.
When five hundred site staff had failed to arrive by 10am, the small group of other foreign labourers (mostly Polish) who had been bussed in were sent home by management, deciding it was unsafe for them to work by themselves.
Jerry Pickford, regional officer for Unite South West, said workers had walked out in “general sympathy with what’s happening in the construction industry… all the Polish workers have walked out as well, because this is not an issue against foreign workers.
“This is an issue against foreign employers using foreign workers to stop British workers getting jobs. Once they do that they will try and undermine the terms and conditions of employment in this country.”
It would be illegal for the union to support the strike or even hold a ballot, but workers are taking action off their own backs. Today strike action also spread to the Sellafield nuclear plant, while 400 contractors at Scottish Power’s Longannet power station in Fife (along with 80 workers at an ExxonMobil plant there) and 130 at the Cockenzie Power Station extended their action until Friday.
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Map with links to all of the walk-outs, solidarity actions and strikes:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=56.018775,-3.707972&spn=8.320716,19.248047&z=6&msid=103813223147685278685.000461b04f7cc6b39c254
A long forum thread with infinite good sense (and lots of links in the comments:
http://libcom.org/forums/news/oil-workers-walk-out-29012009
"A PDF of the February 2009 issue of the irregular workers' bulletin Tea Break, written and designed by users of libcom.org, for general distribution. The freesheet focuses on wildcat strikes at refineries across the country, addressing issues raised by the conflict":
http://libcom.org/library/tea-break-exploitation-oil
Decent pro-strike analysis + news from The Commune site (with lots of cruddy comments from other Lefties slagging off the 'nationalists strikes'):
http://thecommune.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/british-jobs-for-british-workers/
http://thecommune.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/dont-walk-away-from-the-oil-refinery-strikers/
600 workers, including hundreds of Polish workers, have walked out from Langage Power Station near Plymouth in solidarity with the wildcat actions sweeping across Britain.
When five hundred site staff had failed to arrive by 10am, the small group of other foreign labourers (mostly Polish) who had been bussed in were sent home by management, deciding it was unsafe for them to work by themselves.
Jerry Pickford, regional officer for Unite South West, said workers had walked out in “general sympathy with what’s happening in the construction industry… all the Polish workers have walked out as well, because this is not an issue against foreign workers.
“This is an issue against foreign employers using foreign workers to stop British workers getting jobs. Once they do that they will try and undermine the terms and conditions of employment in this country.”
It would be illegal for the union to support the strike or even hold a ballot, but workers are taking action off their own backs. Today strike action also spread to the Sellafield nuclear plant, while 400 contractors at Scottish Power’s Longannet power station in Fife (along with 80 workers at an ExxonMobil plant there) and 130 at the Cockenzie Power Station extended their action until Friday.
--------
Map with links to all of the walk-outs, solidarity actions and strikes:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=56.018775,-3.707972&spn=8.320716,19.248047&z=6&msid=103813223147685278685.000461b04f7cc6b39c254 A long forum thread with infinite good sense (and lots of links in the comments:
http://libcom.org/forums/news/oil-workers-walk-out-29012009 "A PDF of the February 2009 issue of the irregular workers' bulletin Tea Break, written and designed by users of libcom.org, for general distribution. The freesheet focuses on wildcat strikes at refineries across the country, addressing issues raised by the conflict":
http://libcom.org/library/tea-break-exploitation-oil Decent pro-strike analysis + news from The Commune site (with lots of cruddy comments from other Lefties slagging off the 'nationalists strikes'):
http://thecommune.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/british-jobs-for-british-workers/ http://thecommune.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/dont-walk-away-from-the-oil-refinery-strikers/
KM
Additions
"British Wildcats" = BNP - the proof!
04.02.2009 03:05
http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2009/02/british-wildcats-exposed.html http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2009/02/02/british-wildcats-exposed/ Same BNP Graphics, discussion is about BNP activism AND Website registered to BNP web-designer.
As the strikers say:
British Wildcats = Bosses Pussycats!
Fuck Scabs and Fascists!
No Platform Here!
Comments
Hide the following 7 comments
British Wildcats site?
04.02.2009 01:03
There are better postings from workers obviously involved in the disputes in the forum:
KM
Police State
04.02.2009 02:09
The justification will be racism, nationalism, - protectionism no doubt
The whole thing will actually rest on the deliberate destruction of the social and financial mores
Call it fascism call it communism, dissect it as you wish. the powers in control don't give a damn and will set brother against brother to achieve their aims
The British worker must be able to say no to flooding of cheap labour from abroad, as must the Italian, the Pakistani. the Americans - anyone. We cannot see people fucked over by the globalists. The people can express it in any terms they like.
This is a unique term in history and those properly aware need to attach without reference to "wingism"
dh
British wildcats is a bnp front
04.02.2009 02:36
Fenner fashions
it says on"Br Wildcats"webshite say what u want http://www.britishwildcats.com/
04.02.2009 11:30
say what u want repeatedly even, from afew different anon emails, its the least these nazis deserve.
Just to help clear things up abit on strikers view of BNP, heres direct link
Heres to a strategic global strike for direct social & economic democracy & kicking off the corporate chain.
Notts Redskin
has been blackout on polish solidarity
04.02.2009 13:28
I double checked sources, a commenter mixed up his ply & port mouths on Libcom,easily done.
We need a IMC UK headline article on this, loads of people have fed latest upto date info on IMC here, please put up a mainstage article on Polish support to help break the media blackout & condemnation of BNP by many strikers.
These strikers are generally good people, IMC can help stop the splitting being done by the BNP & some in the corporate media
vote tomorrow, but lesson of polish worker solidarity & strikes roots before the spin are important
Notts Redskin
deal at Lindsey??what other strikers say& do around the country including polish
04.02.2009 17:05
100 jobs offered for uk workers, what other strikers say& do around the country including polish workers is anyones guess.
Notts Redskin
Ok guys
05.02.2009 00:35
I only hope the lesson can be learned of how a government controlled agency, like the BNP, like the SWP, can latch on to the anxieties of the mass of the people with such accuracy
dh