London construction workers plan further protests in the heart of the capital

17 January 2012

Construction workers in the capital, who are facing up to 30 per cent pay cuts because rogue employers are de-skilling their industry, will be demonstrating outside Park House in Oxford Street tomorrow (Wednesday, 18 January), with further dates planned (see notes).

The construction workers, members of the country's largest trade union, Unite, will be staging their protest in the heart of the capital from 6.45am.

The Park House site has been targeted as its major contractor, T Clarkes is one of a group of breakaway construction companies, which are imposing semi-skilled grades into the mechanical and electrical sector.

Unite regional officer, Guy Langston said: “These proposed changes are not only an attack on long standing and highly regarded industry agreements but a serious attack on our members' livelihoods. We cannot allow these companies get away with de-skilling the industry and slashing the pay of thousands of construction workers by a third.

“As London is the most expensive city in the world to live and work in, these workers they cannot afford to lose a third of their income.

"London construction workers have made it clear that they will not accept a pay cut. They have been protesting for weeks and will not stop until their employers have returned to the negotiating table for a constructive dialogue."

Workers in five of the seven breakaway companies have been written to by their managers with a stark choice - sign new contracts on much inferior pay, and terms and conditions or face the sack.

The employers want to withdraw from five long-held agreements and replace them with a new agreement which will allow employers to introduce semi-skilled grades and dictate rather than negotiate on pay, holiday entitlement, overtime, and what constitutes away work.

Notes:

Action planned:
6.45am, Wednesday, 18 January: PARK HOUSE, Oxford Street.

6.45am, Wednesday, 25 January: KINGS X STATION.

6.45am, Wednesday, 1 February: Gratte Brothers, Victoria Street.

The seven major break-away contractors currently involved are: Balfour Beatty Engineering Services Limited; NG Bailey Building Services; Crown House Technologies; Gratte Brothers; Spie Matthew Hall; Shepherd Engineering Services (SES); and T. Clarke Plc.

Workers in five of the seven break-away companies have been written to by their managers with a stark choice - sign new contracts on much inferior pay, and terms and conditions or face the sack. Balfour Beatty, Crown House Technologies; Spie Matthew Hall; Shepherd Engineering Services; and NG Bailey have issued Unite with legal notice of their intention to dismiss, with notice, thousands of employees before re-engaging them on new inferior contracts.

Unite has also announced its plan to re-ballot members employed at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) for strike action over the employer-led attacks on the skills and pay of workers in the sector.

---

Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.