Unite

By Luke Ivory. Posted 6th May 2013 Unite the union held a very successful protest outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 2nd May. About 50 activists from around Scotland, including blacklisted workers and other trade unionists gathered at the parliament in a vibrant, colourful and vocal expression of their disgust at this breach of a workers human right to work.
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Dundee Blacklist demonstration demands action

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By Philp Stott and Leah Ganley. Posted 10th March 2013

150 construction workers, their families and supporters took part in an anti-blacklisting demonstration in Dundee on Saturday 9th March. Dundee was chosen for the protest partly because construction giant McAlpine’s, a prominent collaborator with blacklisting, is a major contractor on the Dundee waterfront project. But also because of the long running campaign by local retired electricians Francie Graham and Stewart Merchant, who suffered as a result of the policy of refusing to employ trade union activists in the construction industry.

Tanker drivers victory proves that strikes work

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By Philip Stott. Posted 4th March 2013

Tanker drivers, members of the Unite trade union at Grangemouth Oil refeinery, have won a major victory over the BP multinational in a dispute over wages and pensions. Following a 72 hour strike (see here) and the threat of another 4 days of strike action, BP have agreed to the majority of the workers' demands. This important victory should be an inspiration to all workers facing attacks by their employers and the ConDem government. Strikes do indeed work.

Grangemouth tanker drivers show their industrial strength

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By Luke Ivory. Posted 27th February 2013

BP tanker drivers from the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland last week came out on a 72-hour strike against cuts to pay and pensions. In a militant show of force, these workers in the union Unite are determined that they will not back down in their dispute with an obscenely rich company that regularly makes around £1 billion in profit a month. The attacks on pensions see some workers threatened with losses of up to £13,000 a year and most workers are also faced with current cuts of £1,400 a year to their pay.

Construction workers win victory

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Sean Robertson Unite member 30th June 2012

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. 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.