Sackings spark new battle at Lindsey site
by Ken Ferguson - 22 June 2009
700 workers at the Lindsey oil refinery fired by oil giant Total after they took solidarity action in support of 51 workers sacked by one contractor while another was hiring were defying bosses blackmail as the Voice went to press.
The sackings blew away all the confusion which surrounded the earlier dispute in February which was portrayed in some quarters as “British Jobs for British workers”.
Not this time.
The confrontation now gathering pace at Lindsey is one of naked, open, class confrontation with workers sacked for backing colleagues laid off at the bosses’ whim while there is still work to be done.
As 51 workers were sacked another contractor on the same site was recruiting staff.
Across the capitalist media these workers are continually described as sub contractors, that is to say employed by firms doing work for Total.
The sub contracting system is useful as it relieves firms like Total of responsibility for workers who can be kept on short term contracts, denied rights such as training and sacked without cost to the main employer.
However, apparently unnoticed by media, the 700 workers who took solidarity action in defence of their sacked colleagues were sacked by Total who are now running a full scale, copy book, spin war to get their way.
At a stroke all the supposedly legal distinctions over who employs who, contracts and rights are swept away in a brutal bid to impose the firm’s will upon the workers.
Older readers will be familiar with the strike breaking tactics now being employed by Total.
Letters are sent to workers homes sacking them and giving them a date and time in which to “reapply” for their own jobs with the aim of breaking a collective agreement into a question of personal contracts.
Then, as in previous strikes, well paid bosses front men are then sent onto our screens and air waves to promote the idea that irrespective of strikes or solidarity, there is a queue of willing workers wanting their jobs.
This is an ancient tactic used in a plethora of disputes including on the railways and in the miners’ strikes.
That Total is set on a full scale strike breaking operation in a bid to break trade unionism cannot now be in any doubt and was confirmed by the fact that, despite all the fancy talk about modern management, Total refused to take part in conciliation talks after the sackings were imposed.
One thing is certain. There is complete clarity on the part of workers on what is a stake with the Lindsey sackings and the bosses’ dictatorship.
As the deadline for crawling back to Total cap in hand loomed sacked workers gave their answer as they lined up to burn the bosses despicable sacking letters.
And across the country fellow workers took action to back their fight, staging sympathy walk-outs at plants and power stations
Conoco Phillips reported that 300 of its contract maintenance workers had walked out of its Humber refinery, near Lindsey.
Eon said up to 100 contract workers had downed tools at its Ratcliffe plant in Nottinghamshire, while Scottish and Southern Energy said it had seen some contractors walk out at its Fiddler's Ferry power station in Cheshire.
EDF Energy said in a statement that some contractors had taken industrial action at its Cottam and West Burton power stations in Nottinghamshire.
360 contract workers at RWE Npower's Aberthaw and Didcot A power stations also went on strike while more than 200 contractors walked off site at South Hook Liquid Natural Gas terminal in Wales.
Despite the most repressive anti union laws in Europe—despite 12 year of a supposed “Labour” government—which handcuff union’s activities angry workers are shredding these laws before our eyes.
In place of the cosy so called “partnership” favoured by Brown and the right wing union bosses the workers at Lindsey are demonstrating a truth as old as capitalism.
Faced with a dictatorial boss the most affective response is found not in law courts or appeals to reason but in the ultimate weapon of action which stops the work and forces arrogant employers to think again.
Faced with the dictatorial sackings by a high handed management the Lindsey workers are giving the only reply that can change the approach of the oil giant and have withdrawn their labour.
They deserve the support of workers everywhere.