Sparks strike at Three Bridges, and win
report by Ray M
Electricians in Three Bridges, Sussex, walked out on Friday morning to defend their terms and conditions. Within hours they had forced their employers to back off and hire them on industry standard conditions.
The action involved 30 agency workers at an NG Bailey construction site for Network Rail. Their Unite union demanded direct employment in response to attempts by the agency to drive down conditions.
Within the space of four hours NB Bailey had agreed to cut out the agency and employ the workers on three month rolling contracts with industry standard JIB terms and conditions.
“NG Bailey are using the same agency at other Network Rail sites,” one worker told me. “Start organising — or you will be £100 a week worse off.” Rank and file construction workers are planning to target other sites in the next few days.
The agency had wanted to make workers pay for holidays and employers’ national insurance. This is part of a trend towards “umbrella companies” — agencies that are actual employers rather than intermediaries.
Ian Bradley, a London electrician, writes on the Site Worker blog: “Most agencies though seem to be forcing their workers down the route of signing up to umbrella companies – a move which will leave workers considerably worse off… The reason the agencies are all fighting tooth and nail from having to take us all on PAYE is simple: if you are working on a site after 12 weeks you are entitled to the same terms and conditions as an employee of the same company.”
Today’s action is a significant political opportunity to block the spread of casualisation and poor contracts in construction. If rank and file workers and Unite can generalise this action across different sites, we can stop the use of umbrella companies and turn agency work into direct employment.
The sparks won their battle against Besna, and the Blacklist Support Group has been making waves. With solidarity and the right organisation they can push back this latest attack. Defending three month contracts is a step forward – but we want to push further and get workers onto proper contracts.
This article is cross-posted from rs21
1 comment
One response to “Sparks strike at Three Bridges, and win”
Left Unity is active in movements and campaigns across the left, working to create an alternative to the main political parties.
About Left Unity
Read our manifesto
Left Unity is a member of the European Left Party. 
Read the European Left Manifesto
ACTIVIST CALENDAR
Events and protests from around the movement, and local Left Unity meetings.
ongoing
Just Stop Oil – Slow Marches
Slow marches are still legal (so LOW RISK of arrest), and are extremely effective. The plan is to keep up the pressure on this ecocidal government to stop all new fossil fuel licences.
Saturday 27th April: national march for Palestine
National demonstration.
Ceasefire NOW! Stop the Genocide in Gaza: Assemble 12 noon Central London
Full details to follow
More events »
GET UPDATES
Sign up to the Left Unity email newsletter.
CAMPAIGNING MATERIALS
Get the latest Left Unity resources.
It’s a nice change reading an article about workers rights improving for once! There needs to be a real PR campaign by unions and the ”real” left to show to people the positive contributions unions make. There has been decades now of anti union propaganda and not much of an opposing voice.