Crossrail Update week 2

Accident At Westbourne Park & Crossrail protests spread

The Crossrail protests continued this week. Every day at Westbourne Park the picket has been in full operation. All deliveries have been turned away every day from 6am. Causing disruption to the site management (Bam Ferrovial Kier)

Also this week the protest returned to another BFK-Crossrail site. Tottenham Court Road. For well over an hour, Oxford street was blocked off by a 10ft high/ 20ft wide banners.

Site Worker Sept 2012

Blacklisting Update

Blacklisting Update

UNION chiefs are calling on Labour leaders to back them in a £600million case against Britain’s big name construction giants.

The GMB has tabled a motion for this weekend’s Labour Party Conference in the row over alleged illegal “blacklisting” of 3,200 builders.

The workers were shunned by construction firms who used a database to check if they were shop stewards or alleged troublemakers. GMB national officer Justin Bowden said: “We’ll not rest until they get an apology and compensation.”

It comes amid growing speculation that construction firms will be forced to compensate workers they avoided.

In 2009 the Information Commissioner revealed 44 firms had forked out to access the database to vet applicants. Those paying to use the service included BALFOUR BEATTY, CARILLION, MOWLEM. Lawyers at GUNEY, CLARK & RYAN believe compo could hit £600million.

They have served notice on MCALPINE in a High Court test case on behalf of 86 builders. Guney partner Sean Curran said: “We believe we have a very strong case. Workers’ careers and family lives were devastated by being put on this blacklist.”

Human rights campaigners have threatened to sue the ICO for failing to contact those on the blacklist.

The Financial Times is currently preparing a blacklisting story - keep an eye out

Unite urges Crossrail to enter talks

Unite urges Crossrail to enter into talks, as anti-union claims flare up

24 September 2012

Unite, the country’s largest union, is calling for urgent talks with Crossrail to thrash out claims that trade union victimisation has taken place and an anti-union bias exists across the project.
Unite has been seeking a project agreement for over a year from Crossrail - which could benefit the thousands of workers employed on the largest construction project in Europe – but to no avail.
Unite wants an agreement delivering direct employment under the terms of the relevant existing national agreements - this would mean workers engaged on the cross London rail project being directly employed and the full terms of recognised construction agreements applied, where applicable.

There is a concern that 'self employment' practices are prevalent and undermining the safety of the project going forward.

How long till Crossrail have blood on their hands?

How long till Crossrail have blood on their hands?

In a short time, Crossrail has become Europe's biggest construction project. Completion is not due for another 6 years and at its peak will have over 15,000 M&E workers. That is just the M&E side, if you take in to consideration all of the other trades then then this will have at least 30,000 people working on it at any one time. That's 300,000 man hours a day, 2,100,000 man hours a week. With that amount of hours and the ignore it Health and Safety culture on Crossrail, before long, there will be fatalities to construction workers up and down the line.

With such a large project, with such large amount of working hours, attracting skilled trades from all over the UK and Europe. Surely the first thing Crossrail and the Contractors are thinking of is safety of the workforce.

But sadly, it would appear not. Only last week 28 M&E workers were removed from the Westbourne Park Crossrail site and 15 more have been removed from the Crossrail site at Chatham Docks.

M&E Workers Consultative Ballot

Unite sends out Consultative Ballot to M&E Workers over Pay Offers

Unite the Union in the last few weeks have sent out consultative ballot papers to M&E Workers across the country asking members whether they will accept the employers new pay offers.

BESA(HVCA) offered 1.5% pay rise after 3 years of pay freeze with another beforehand.

Today Unite the Union announced that the 90% of Mechanical workers have rejected this offer.

Also today, Electricians across the country working for JIB companies started to receive their Consultative ballot papers over another derisory offer of 1.5% increase after 3 years of pay freeze. The employers are even offering that apprentices should be on a lower hourly rate whilst at college learning.

BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS

CALLING ALL RANK & FILE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND TRADE UNIONISTS

MASS PICKET

WESTBOURNE PARK CROSSRAIL SITE

MONDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER

6:30AM

Crossrail go hysterical over unionised contractor after safety concerns were raised

Today (Friday 14th) at 3pm every unionised worker for E.I.S. electrical contractor on Crossrail at Westbourne Park tube will be searched and removed from site. 

McGingley union rep was dismissed from site earlier today.

 

This is the opening shots in what appears to be a major battle over unionisation and safety on the Crossrail project. Unofficial picket lines look set to appear very soon and could cause chaos in West London.

 

Bernard McAuley UNITE national Construction Officer has been in negotiations at the Crossrail project all day.

 

More info and contact details below

 

E.I.S. Electrical working on the BFK (BAM FERROVIAL KIER) CROSS RAIL tunnelling contract company have been removed for hi-lighting safety issue 

 

Unite saftey rep Rodney Valentine was removed from site immediately after he was elected he was suspended from site for 6 weeks and eventually transferred to another project where he worked for 1 week before being suspended again he is now approaching his 3rd week

Unite shop steward Frank Morris was banned from the construction site after raising saftey issues on the tunnel boring machine he was removed from site and placed in a site hut for 11 hours per day with absolutley no job to do in solitary confinement.

E.I.S. electrical supervisor was removed from project after taking a picture of 11000V HI VOLTAGE CABLE which was lying under bolders  and  had scaffold clips and boards thrown on it because he took the picture to present to the in house safety team he was removed by main contractors  BFk's MR Horrello working on behalf of Ferrovial.

We have the photos 

BFK have decided to relieve themselves off all responsibility and Terminated  E.I.S. contract mid term even though there is a further 3 years on the contract and other recruitment agencies are actively recruiting positions and even actively poaching E.I.S. employees.

 

Unite the union sees it this a attack on the union organisation. The primary motive for the removal of E.I.S. from the Westboune project  is  to to remove a unionised workforce who's representatives wanted to participate in the safe operation of the BFK Westbourne Park cross rail project. 

Harry Cowap 07812678228 Unite the union regional officer  

"the safety rep has done nothing wrong 

the shop steward has done nothing wrong 

the men employed on site were doing a good job  

E.I.S. the company has done nothing wrong"

 

above the words of E.I.S.  Managing Director 

 

 

Blacklsit Update - Hazards Blacklist Blog

Grim reaper visits Carillion death hearing

By Rory | Published: 6 September, 2012

Photo: Simon Chapman

Workers employed by Carillion who were blacklisted after raising safety concerns have protested outside a court in Swansea where the firm is being prosecuted after a site death.

Rank and File Update

Stewart Hume reinstated.

A great victory and a massive well done to all our Scottish brothers!

There is power in the Union. We know it and so do the employers.

We have just had a great week for the ‘Rank and File’. 1] The threat of walkouts at Grangemouth and protests on all Balfour Beatty Engineering Services [BBES] sites was just too much for the blacklisting wretches! BBES were forced to reinstate the ‘sacked’ Rank and Filer, Stewart Hume.

There is power in the union & the ‘Rank and File’ and when we are on the march we are unstoppable. Put that in your pipe[work] and smoke it Mr Harvey.

2] Last week the National ‘Rank and File’ committee met with Unites Ass Gen Sec Gail Cartmail and National officer Bernard [moving forward] Macauly.

It was a good meeting, though there were no massive gains, but we weren’t expecting any really, Unite like to tread carefully “mustn’t break them anti Trade Union laws now must we”!

A] Crown house was discussed, with still no sign of the ‘sign or be sacked’ letter.  We have got them [CH] on the run so let’s keep at the b******s!.

B] Blacklisting was discussed, and our demands to get our blacklisted brothers in work. Unite seem to be warming to the idea so watch this space.

The Scottish Select Committee met last Tuesday and we hear that Gail Cartmail gave em what for thanks for that better late than never.

C] The ‘crap’ pay deal was mentioned..........It’s a joke/piss take.......... No pay increase until June 2013 a 1.5% increase in first year, well below inflation,

Unite are sending out letters with the full details and strongly recommending that their members DO NOT accept the offer. This is a consultative ballot for possible industrial action up to and including STRIKE ACTION.

Unite ‘Rank and File’ construction workers say NO!... NO!!!..... NO!!!!!!

Make sure you put your cross in the right box REJECT THE OFFER and get ready for strike action. A resounding rejection is essential.

We should also be receiving paperwork on ‘Blacklisting’, please fill that in too.

D] Play by the rules was also on the meeting agenda, we know that the employers are breaking the rules all day every day. Please contact your local office, Unite say they will follow up any complaints, so keep the info coming in.

Finally, a new copy of ‘Siteworker is done, anyone needing copies please let us know by emailing siteworkers@virginmedia.com and we will post them out to you.

For more info please visit..... http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

Get in touch with us by Email siteworkers@virginmedia.com

Just another week in the life of the rank and File eh! Solidarity forever.