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Fresh protest over foreign labour | Fresh protest over foreign labour |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Unemployed construction workers are protesting at two UK power stations amid claims British employees are being denied the chance to apply for work. | |
Around 400 people have blocked the main gate at Staythorpe in Nottinghamshire and a "few hundred" are at Grain Power Station in Kent, the union Unite said. | |
Unions say hundreds of contracts will go to non-UK employees but contractor Alstom rejects discrimination claims. | Unions say hundreds of contracts will go to non-UK employees but contractor Alstom rejects discrimination claims. |
Wildcat strikes ended last week after a deal on the use of foreign labour. | |
Workers at Lindsey Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire went back to work after more than a week of walk-outs and protests involving thousands of workers at more than 20 sites. | Workers at Lindsey Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire went back to work after more than a week of walk-outs and protests involving thousands of workers at more than 20 sites. |
Downing Street petition | Downing Street petition |
Now Unite and GMB are claiming 850 jobs on contracts at Staythorpe will be denied to local workers, while in Kent, 450 jobs will be similarly affected. | |
Speaking from the protest at Staythorpe, Unite's regional officer Steve Syson told the BBC he was looking for a "level playing field". | |
He said: "There is clearly no intention of employing anyone... they've issued contracts out to non-UK overseas employees but we believe local labour is available. | |
"We want some transparency to see what they [foreign contractors] are being paid." | |
Unite's joint general secretary Derek Simpson said: "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." | Unite's joint general secretary Derek Simpson said: "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." |
A delegation of union members will deliver a petition to Downing Street later urging Gordon Brown to insist employers give British workers fair access to work on UK engineering and construction projects. | A delegation of union members will deliver a petition to Downing Street later urging Gordon Brown to insist employers give British workers fair access to work on UK engineering and construction projects. |
It also calls for overseas workers to be paid in line with agreed UK rates. | It also calls for overseas workers to be paid in line with agreed UK rates. |
Alstom said all workers, whether British or European, were paid the same rates and sub-contractors were entitled to select their workers. | Alstom said all workers, whether British or European, were paid the same rates and sub-contractors were entitled to select their workers. |