Uskmouth Power Station Blockade, Newport, South Wales

south west | protests | news report Tuesday September 08, 2009 13:34 by fw tom

Don't let the bosses drive labour costs!

This story is important - one of the impacts of globalisation is to pit workers against each other to drive down wages and conditions. This, I feel, is an example of that where an unfair system is being used to pit worker against worker and while we have to be careful not to stray into lazy thinking over 'foreigners' - it is not the fault of the foreign workers that the bosses are trying to use them in this way, like the rest of us, they are just trying to make a living - but we should support the gain in wages and conditions that we have struggled for over generations. An issue for all the South West/South Wales!

Just a quick report about the blockade at Uskmouth this morning. Held in protest at the number of foreign construction workers being employed by Siemens at the Uskmouth plant, on lower wages and poorer conditions than they would have to pay UK workers, it was well attended, with somewhere between 150 and 200 protestors taking part. We formed up just outside the main gates at about 530am, and succesfully prevented any of the morning shift workers from getting into work between then, and just before 9am, when the Police moved the protestors back. Organised by UNITE, the GMB were also present to show solidarity, as well as the Socialist Party, SWP, Youth Fight For Jobs, and of course the RMT. A couple of people promotong the BNP as "a viable protest vote" were also present, but their hateful diatribe was poorly received by all those present. There will almost certainly be more protests at Uskmouth (and Aberthaw and Milford Haven too) although details of when they might be haven't been released yet.

Click on the links for a few photos: -

http://www.rmtcardiffrail.org.uk/images/uskmouth/SDC102...0.JPG

http://www.rmtcardiffrail.org.uk/images/uskmouth/SDC102...5.JPG

And one of the ominpresent rozzers!!

http://www.rmtcardiffrail.org.uk/images/uskmouth/SDC102...6.JPG

Sky News is also running the story at: -

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/British-Jobs-G...ncies

Thanks to all who sent messages of support and solidarity - these were passed on to the UNITE Officials present.