Unite's power station protests
10th February 2009
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Date: Wednesday, 11th February 2009
Time: 6.30am - 10.00am (see notes to
editors)
Address: Staythorpe power station, Staythorpe
Road, Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG23 5PS and Grain Power
Station, Isle of Grain, Rochester, Kent, ME3 0AF
Hundreds of skilled but unemployed
construction workers, being refused work at the Staythorpe and Isle
of Grain power stations, will hold co-ordinated demonstrations
outside the sites to call on Alstom to give UK-based labour fair
access to work.
Alstom, the main contractor at both power
stations, is using two subcontractors at each of the sites, both of
whom are refusing to consider local labour.
Alstom has been contracted by RWE to build the
Staythorpe power station, a gas-fired power station near Newark.
Two companies, Montpressa and FMM, have been subcontracted to carry
out construction work on the site. These two non-UK contracting
companies say they have no intention of employing any local labour
to undertake the work. Unite estimates that 600 jobs will be needed
to build the power station's turbine and boiler (Montpressa will
fit the turbine and FMM will fit the boiler) and another 250 to
build the pipe connecting the two. None of these jobs will go to UK
workers.
At the Isle of Grain, two sub-contractors,
Remak and ZRE, have also refused to consider applications for work
from UK-based labour. Unite estimates that the two sub-contractors
will require 450 workers over the lifetime of the project. Alstom
has been contracted by E.on to build the power station.
Unite is calling on the government to insist
that companies applying for contracts on public infrastructure
projects, sign up to corporate social responsibility agreements
which commit to fair access for UK labour.
Unite's joint general secretary, Derek
Simpson, said: “Unemployed construction workers are asking for
fairness not favours. Alstom has the power to insist that the
sub-contractors end this scandalous situation. UK-based labour must
be given a fair chance to get a cut of the action to build a new
generation of UK power stations.
"The government is beginning to grasp the
seriousness of the present situation but we now need to see the
follow through. The government must ensure that construction
companies sign up to corporate social responsibility agreements,
which commit to fair access for UK labour.
"No European worker should be barred from
applying for a British job and absolutely no British worker should
be barred from applying for a British job."
Derek Simpson, joint leader of Unite, together
with a delegation of Unite members working in engineering and
construction will deliver a petition to Number 10, calling on
Gordon Brown to insist that employers give UK workers fair access
to work on UK engineering and construction projects.
Following the delivery of the petition,
construction workers will meet with MPs and peers in the Houses of
Parliament to put forward their case for fairness not favours.
The petition signed by thousands of
engineering and construction workers, many of whom are currently
unemployed, also calls for overseas workers to be paid in line with
agreed UK rates. Unite believes that the best way to achieve this
is to ensure that UK workers and their unions work side by side
with overseas workers.
ENDS
For more information contact Ciaran Naidoo on
07768 931 315 or contact Karen Viquerat on 07768 931 316 to
organise interviews outside the Staythorpe and Isle Of Grain power
stations.
Notes to editors: Its recommended that the
media try to get to the power stations before 9.30am when
attendance will be highest.
