Unite union calls for strike vote
It has been revealed that more than 20,000 construction staff are to be balloted about potential strike action as the situation regarding the use of foreign workers in the UK comes to a head. This is something which has been ongoing for some time and caused significant distress for companies, workers, unions and the government over the last six months. The latest blow comes as talks between the Unite Union and the Engineering Construction Industry Association broke down with no agreement.
It seems to be the oil refining industry which will be hardest hit in the short term although as we saw last year a number of wildcat strikes suddenly appeared across the UK as workers finally found their voice. It will be interesting to see how the UK government responds to this latest threat as we approach the next general election and a situation which could effectively kill any chance of the Labour government being reinstalled.
In many ways the UK Government's hands are tied as EU regulations allow the EU population to work in any member state under the same working conditions. Yet again we have seen Gordon Brown's "British jobs for British workers" statement blown out of the water in what many believe is the last straw for the UK government.
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