Modern art takes centre stage on October 12 as construction workers demonstrate against 30 per cent pay cuts

10 October 2011

The world's most visited modern art gallery - London's Tate Modern - will see a demonstration outside the building on Wednesday (12 October) by construction workers facing 30 per cent pay cuts by rogue employers.

Unite has learned that over 100 workers will be demonstrating at the extension being built at the iconic former Bankside Power Station between 6.30am and 8.00am, opposite the Millennium Bridge, just before thousands of visitors flock to see the works of such artists as Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso.

The key to the dispute is that seven rogue employers want to impose 30 per cent pay cuts and a worsening of employment conditions for thousands of construction workers by an arbitrary 7 December deadline – if they don't capitulate, they face the sack.

One of the 'not-so-magnificent seven' contractors who want to impose the changes, T Clarkes Plc has an electrical contract on the extension, currently under construction, at the Tate Modern.

Unite regional officer, Vince Passfield, said: “By protesting outside such an iconic building, construction workers will be showing their employers just how fired up they are at the threat to de-skill their jobs and cut their pay by a third.

"If these companies get away with this attack our members won't be able to pay for their mortgages or support their families.

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

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.

But five of the seven have upped the stakes. 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.

This is not a call for unofficial strike action by Unite. It is Unite's understanding that those involved in the demonstrations are doing so outside of work hours to avoid any suggestion that this is unofficial strike action.

Notes:

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.

Unite has been told by these major employers that they will no longer be party to the following agreements: JIB (Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry); SJIB (Scottish Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry); JIB-PMES (Joint Industry Board for Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services in England and Wales); SNIJIB (Scottish and Northern Ireland Joint Industry Board for the Plumbing Industry); HVAC (National Agreement for the Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning, Piping and Domestic Engineering Industry); MPA (Major Projects Agreement).

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