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With news from Harlow, south London ISS battles, and anti-racist successes
Monday 24 April 2023
Issue 2852
North Sea workers gathered on Monday to show they were on strike (Picture: Unite Scotland on Twitter)
North Sea oil workers began what their Unite union called the “biggest offshore stoppage in a generation” on Monday. The 48-hour strikes saw dozens of oil and gas platforms “brought to a standstill,” according to the union.
Some 1,300 workers, including technicians, deck crew, crane operators, and riggers, walked out, posing a challenge for multi-billion oil industry operators, including BP, Harbour Energy, and Shell.
Unite industrial officer John Boland stressed the strikes are “not exclusively about pay but also working rotas, holidays, and offshore safety.”
Around 700 workers are employed by Bilfinger UK and are demanding a pay rise. Meanwhile, 350 construction workers at Stork Technical Services are also taking part, alongside 200 from Sparrows Offshore Services, and just short of 50 from Petrofac Facilities Management.
Further strikes could be ahead, with ballots ongoing for offshore workers employed by TotalEnergies.
On Monday morning there was a rally at Unite headquarters in Aberdeen. And workers who were offshore posted pictures on social media of meetings and banner drops on a number of rigs.
Strikes have dogged the North Sea for well over a year now, spurred on by inflationary pressures and the ongoing cost of living crisis. That initially saw a series of unofficial walkouts which was rather slowly followed by a now steady stream of official ballots.
Feelings of injustice within the oil and gas sector have been particularly acute, given many of the majors recorded record profits last year.
The oil and gas industry has seen multibillion profits and hyper executive bonuses announced over the last few months. Bilfinger generated £3.8 billion revenues in the last financial year.
Issues around three week on/three week off rotas for the workers, usually described as “hated” due to the pattern’s impact on mental health, have also repeatedly emerged.
There is a growing level of anger on the rigs and the unions have now looked make at least some resistance official.
The battle for wages and conditions on the rigs is coming to a head. Bringing all the disputes together and hitting the bosses hard can turn what was called a “wage revolution” from a slogan to a reality.
- Full a full background to the dispute from the Unite union go here
Simon Basketter
Harlow council workers demand justice on pay
Pickets gathered on Monday to back strikes by over 300 low-paid staff responsible for Harlow council’s housing stock and the cleaning and maintenance of council grounds and buildings.
Action was planned for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. Many of the workers, in the Unite Union, earn less than £12 an hour. They started strikes in late February.
They work for HTS, which is wholly-owned by Harlow district council with a board of directors made up of councillors and are striking because their outsourced employment arrangements mean they are paid less than workers doing the same jobs at other local authorities.
HTS workers are demanding a cost of living payment and for their pay bands to be regraded so they are brought up to local authority standards.
The strikes have severely disrupted housing repairs and maintenance, street cleaning, grounds maintenance, cleaning and caretaking of council buildings and parks and gardening services. They need support from all levels of the union to push on to victory.
Picketing at Bethlem Royal hospital (Picture: Helen O’Connor on Twitter)
Revolt against ISS in south London hospitals
Outsourced cleaners and other domestic workers at a south London hospital trust struck for a living wage on Sunday and Monday.
The 48-hour strike saw members of the GMB union join picket lines outside Maudsley hospital, Lewisham hospital, Bethlem Royal hospital, and Lambeth hospital. The workers are outsourced to ISS, and are demanding pay comparable to those directly employed by the trust.
Workers held signs on picket lines that read, “NHS workers not second class workers. Stop taking the p-ISS.” Helen O’Connor, GMB Regional Organiser said, “These valuable workers are sick and tired of ISS taking them for granted.”
On the march in Lincoln
Setbacks for fascists in Lincoln and Long Eaton
Anti-racists confronted a variety of far right and fascist mobilisations last weekend that were trying to intimidate and harass refugees.
About 150 anti-racists joined a march in Lincoln as about 30 Patriotic Alternative supporters gathered nearby.
The anti-racist turnout was very impressive given there was very little formal organisation until recently.
James Eaden, who spoke for Chesterfield Trades Council, said, “It was a good day today, a victory for our side. But with mainstream politicians playing the race card and scapegoating refugees, the threat posed by a potentially resurgent far right remains.”
On Sunday 50 Patriotic Alternative supporters in Long Eaton near Nottingham had to cower under police protection to hide from the wrath of 150 anti-racists. Anti-racist chanting drowned out the fascists’ speeches.
Both mobilisations, called by Stand Up To Racism and backed by others, show the potential to push back the fascists and defeat anti-migrant protests.
Back strikes on the rail, not a poor deal
Train operating company workers in the RMT union should reject a new pay offer when it is put to a ballot and vote yes to renewing the strike mandate.
The deal comes in two stages. It would see workers vote on an offer of a £1,750 one-off lump sum or 5 percent pay increase—whichever is larger for 2022.
But this offer, which is well below inflation, doesn’t sink a raft of assaults on jobs and conditions.
If the pay deal is accepted the RMT would begin talks on these company by company. Inevitably this would leave workers weaker than if they confront the rail bosses together.
The planned closure of 964 ticket offices will go through a consultation process and the vast majority will be accepted.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch admitted, “There is a whole series of proposals that the company have put to us for that second stage, and they are going to be quite challenging for us to ever get an agreement on.”
“If we don’t go into this proposed dispute resolution method, these items will be placed on your company council anyway but they wouldn’t have the guarantee of no compulsory redundancies,” he said.
The companies’ offer means attacks on workers and a real terms pay cut.
The way to beat it is by renewing and escalating strikes. Only striking twice—on 16 and 18 March—since December, last year has not been near the scale of action needed to win.
Sam Ord
