Rank & File Newsletter

Rank and File Update

Stuff going on & stuff the BESNA MK2

Unite Conference: Was held in Brighton the other week, where there were some fine speeches and rabble rousing, but ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS ‘LENNY’!

So let’s see what occurs in the coming months; however we know it’s down to the Rank and File to hold the bureaucrats to account by keeping the pressure on from below, just as the sparks have for nearly a year now.

Rank and File ‘Steve Acheson’ spoke at fringe meetings all week as well as at the conference. 

A motion on blacklisting was accepted unanimously and Steve got a standing ovation. The Rank and File salute you Stevie!

Blacklist Update

Tommy Sheridan MSP: "I was spied on by illegal blacklist"

Tommy Sheridan has revealed that he was kept under surveillance by the Consulting Association blacklisting conspiracy over a period of 14 years while he was first an elected councillor and latterly while he served as an elected Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). Sheridan's blacklist file, recently disclosed by the Information Commissioners Office, covers the period 1995 to 2009 and relates to times when he had supported campaigns connected to the construction industry including his visits to picket lines involving construction workers and his advocacy of improved working conditions across the building industry.

Blacklist Support Group

Blacklisters face professional abuse charges 

**The following article was written by Rory for the Blacklist Blog**

On 1 July 2012 the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development – the professional body for Human Resources in the UK –  published a new Code of Conduct for its members. The first complaint made under the new Code is by the Blacklist Support Group, and lays several misconduct charges against five prominent, high-level construction industry managers....

Unite/UCATT CIJC Pay Talks

Union anger over construction bosses' derisory pay offer

27 June 2012

The latest round of pay negotiations which took place yesterday (26 June) ended in a failure to agree.

Construction unions, who represent workers covered by the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) agreement, said the employers’ offer of 17 pence an hour for craft workers and 13 pence an hour for general operatives, was derisory and insulting.

BESA(HVCA) Pay Talks

Update On HVCA Pay Talks

Unite the Union have been involved in negotiations of pay and conditions with BESA (formerly HVCA) over the last few weeks and this week Unite issued a letter to its members.

It states that the the Unite representatives have rejected the offer, which the employers see is their final position and is not up for negotiation.

Unite are currently attempting to get all members affected to update their details and put the derisory offer to them in a consultative ballot.

Another Victory Against Balfour Beatty

Beauly-Denny construction workers win swift victory in unofficial action

The following article was written by Sean Robertson and is reproduced from the The Point website

Protest by electricians against Balfour Beatty in
Newcastle earlier this year.

02 July On the 26th and 27th June , around 40 Balfour Beatty foundation construction workers went on strike with the intention of making the company stick to earlier promises that workers could expect a four day weekend in return for working 17 consecutive 12 hour days.

Protest by electricians against Balfour Beatty in Newcastle earlier this year.

The vast majority of workers on the Northern section of the Beauly –Denny electricity transmission project are staying away from home, many having up to 10 hour commutes to their homes in England, Wales and Ireland and under the current arrangements they are given Friday to travel, but must travel back to work on Sunday, meaning that they only have one quality day in their homes with their family.

Prior to beginning work on the project, workers were assured by management that travelling Friday and Monday on the weekend that they were off would be the norm, but some staff have been on the project for more than a year and the promise has never materialised.