Unite members will hold a protest outside the Pipeline Industries Guild scheduled for 18:30 this evening (Tuesday 14 March) at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane.

 When: 18:30 Tuesday 14 March

Where: Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN

The Pipeline Industries Guild is closely associated with the Murphy group of companies, with the group’s CEO John Murphy a past president of the guild, while the guild’s current chair is Andrew Ball, energy sector director with J Murphy and Sons. 

Reinstatement campaign

The protest is part of a campaign to secure the reinstatement of four Unite members, including a shop steward, dismissed by the Murphy group’s Irish subsidiary on what Unite members believe to be spurious grounds.

Legendary comedian and Comic Relief co-founder Sir Lenny Henry will be speaking at the dinner, and Unite has written to Sir Lenny informing him of the union’s concerns surrounding the dismissal of the ‘Murphy 4’. The union has received no response to date.

Spurious dismissal

Commenting ahead of the protest, Unite’s national officer for construction Jason Poulter said: “Unite will leave no stone unturned to secure the reinstatement of our members in Ireland who were dismissed by the Murphy group of companies on what we believe to be spurious grounds. The ‘Murphy 4’, including a Unite shop steward, have over 50 years of loyal service between them.

“This evening Unite will take our demand for reinstatement of the ‘Murphy 4’ to the Pipeline Industries Guild dinner in London, and we have also written to guest speaker Sir Lenny Henry outlining our concerns at the Murphy group’s behaviour.

“We will continue using every opportunity to highlight the Murphy group’s poor treatment of our members in Ireland until the Murphy 4 are reinstated.”

 ENDS

Notes to editors

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067.

Email: [email protected]

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.