Saltend blockade part of wildcat action over redundancies
Protesters blockaded the BP Saltend site this morning as part of wildcat action in a row over redundancies.
About 400 workers started a picket which blocked the entrance to the biofuel plant, causing traffic chaos for commuters.
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Protesters outside the Saltend site this morning.
Traffic returned to normal after the workers ended the blockade at around 9.30am.
The dispute involves mechanical contractors for Redhall Engineering, a firm based in Middlesbrough, who are working at the Saltend site.
They have accused Redhall Engineering of not sticking to a national agreement on redundancies.
Strikers say the company should be offering redundancy specific to individual contracts, not to its employees nationally.
Keith Gibson, a GMB member who works on the site, told the Mail: "All we want is for Redhalls to honour the national agreement.
"It is an unofficial strike, we have not taken a ballot, but we want action and we want it now."
The strikers were made up of scaffolders, electricians, welders and other mechanical engineers.
Mr Gibson said shop stewards were in conversation with Redhall officials about the matter.
A spokesman for BP said: "We wish to confirm that the disruption caused in the Saltend area this morning has involved contractors working for Redhall Engineering Services Ltd who are working on the Vivergo Fuels Limited project."
● More on this story: Traffic chaos for east Hull and Holderness over Saltend protest
18 Comments
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by Lilly, Cottingham
Thursday, March 03 2011, 12:13AM
“Pete you really do highlight why people such as yourself should not, nor ever have be, in politics.
Why is the working man/woman his own worst enemy? I know of at least 3 massive employers in the region that are using the current recession to take away the rights of their workers - even though these companies are raking in near record profits.
One such company has made Bank Holidays a 'normal working' day to avoid paying more. Add to that weekends been normal days too - no time and half etc - shift allowance taken away and THEN making it compulsory for their staff to work over Christmas aswell!
Dont get me wrong if the company was in trouble then so be it....But as I stated they made massive profits! So Cmon, justify that! My point is alot of companies are doing this, screwing staff under the guise of the recession!
So that begs the question WHY are the staff putting up with this? I tell you why because the Company has ALL the power and they fear losing their jobs!
Thanks to your lot - Liebour - there arent many jobs out there! So the only reason for you saying the working man is his own worst enemy, so far as I can see, was trusting Liebour to do the right thing!
If you meant in terms of protesting, I say bring it on! Lets bring the country to a stand still! People will only take so much from politicians, like yourself, far removed from reality! Its only a matter of time before the people take the power back from the suits and I say the sooner the better!!”
by Pete, Hull
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 8:02PM
“First steps for the Lib-Dem-Tory government.
Extend the time scale for unfair dismissal protection from 12 months to 2 years. The employers say they want to sack more workers legally.
What do they say about the working man's worst enemy being the working man.
Reading some comments on here \I am not surprised.”
by Pete, Hull
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 7:52PM
“Definition of an illegal strike.
A strike becomes illegal 24 hours after the those involved have been told by their senior Union Official that they are in breach of their current balloting requirements.
Now all those who seem to be hoping for arrests and any other thing to weaken the strikers case, can now sleep easy.”
by Pete, Hull
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 7:49PM
“You are allowed to picket the entrance to your place of work, and as this is the only entrance to everyone, then it is legal.
I wonder if MJ is hoping they all get thrown in jail for complaining”
by oscartemp, here
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 6:23PM
“damage my car, id come round and sort your wife out while you at work”
by Mike heys, Hull
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 5:34PM
“hj and a few others need to get there facts right, I was on the picket line and the pleb who got his car damaged was his own fault as he tried ramming through the picket and ran over numerous feet whilst people were trying to explain the situation, also the picket was to protect our jobs, if your job was in threat by an Illeagal procedure might I add, would you not do something about it or would you bend over and take it?”
by B, HULL
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 5:28PM
“yEH EE RTHE DU MIN TH FD O.”
by oscartemp, here
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 5:10PM
“what a kn#b the man on the clip is. you are all lazy bums from hull”
by dave, east hull
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 4:53PM
“though i dont condone what what went on today ive got to admire them for standing up for there rightes and maybe protecting jobs of other people.
the uk as a nation have become very fickle people and unless more people start standing up to the dictators then the future looks very bleak.
instead of been selfish in your thoughts about been caught up in the traffic etc think of wats becoming to this once great country and wat the future holds for all the youngsters in years to come.”
by Sam, E Yorks
Wednesday, March 02 2011, 4:24PM
“I hope the police do arrest them if they start there protest tommorrow in the same way. There are correct ways to go about a strike and make their voices heard and disrupting thousands of people/children from going about their business be it work/school/hospital appts etc is not the way forward and will not get any sympathies from the people of Hull. I'm sure the GMB officials have been on the radio today defending there ILLEGAL action this morning. They really need to get out of the dark ages.I feel sorry people are losing their jobs etc but this is the economic climate we are currently in and behaving like this could cost other people their jobs too through loss of business.”