A report from the fourth week of strikes by electricians at Hunterston Nuclear Power station.
WEEK 4 UPDATE FROM THE PICKET
The first day of the 4th week in our dispute with BK.
After a shop meeting on Tuesday the 26th September we decided that after BK having offered to meet, discuss and possibly resolve our dispute, we would suspend our action planned for Wednesday and Thursday of the same week, as an offer of goodwill pending the meeting taking place on the same Tuesday afternoon. We had a report back meeting at lunchtime on Wednesday, which ended after the shop rejected an offer by BK to pay 75p for hours worked during the B station shutdown. Our dispute has primarily been about the removal of a 30yr old enhanced payment of 50p per hour. It still remains our key objective as a shop to get this enhanced hourly rate reinstated. We are not working for the only electrical company operating in Nuclear power stations, although (with the exception of Booth Welsh whose employees don’t appear to be supportive of our actions but would ironically benefit from any national agreement we might secure on the back of our actions, SHAME.) We appear to be the only employees within this sector not receiving an enhancement recognising the type of work and conditions in which we work.
Within BE sites and BNG (formerly BNFL) there seems to be a north south divide in the enhanced payment, only the three sites in Scotland in which BK operate appear to be affected. Are the clients aware of this? And did they have any influence over it?
Other Amicus members who work on these sites should at least acknowledge what we are trying to achieve and maybe listen to their conscience in respecting our official AMICUS picket. It seems we have more support from other members of other unions than we have from our own. Are you listening brothers!
After another successful and purposeful day on the picket line our day draws to a close. We will continue our actions yet again tomorrow hail, rain or shine.
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