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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Talks due over refinery strikes | Talks due over refinery strikes |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Talks between both sides in the dispute over foreign workers at the Lyndsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire will begin within hours, the BBC has learnt. | |
| The news comes as Business Secretary Lord Mandelson urged workers planning to take "sympathy strike" action to call off their protests. | |
| The government has also said it might challenge EU law to stop cheap foreign labour "undercutting" British workers. | The government has also said it might challenge EU law to stop cheap foreign labour "undercutting" British workers. |
| It said European Court of Justice rulings had "undermined" protections. | It said European Court of Justice rulings had "undermined" protections. |
| The developments come in the wake of wildcat strikes across the UK over the use of foreign labour at a Total-owned oil refinery. | The developments come in the wake of wildcat strikes across the UK over the use of foreign labour at a Total-owned oil refinery. |
| Changing EU law would need the agreement of other member states and could take years to get through and the Lib Dems warned challenging EU labour laws would be a "huge, self-defeating step too far". | Changing EU law would need the agreement of other member states and could take years to get through and the Lib Dems warned challenging EU labour laws would be a "huge, self-defeating step too far". |
| Discrimination claim | Discrimination claim |
| Speaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr show on Sunday, Health Secretary Alan Johnson, a former trade union leader, said: "If workers are being brought across here on worse terms and conditions to actually get jobs in front of British workers, on the basis of dumbing down the terms and conditions, that would be wrong and I can understand the anger about that." | |
| He said both the government and trade unions strongly backed EU laws on the free movement of labour but that some of the protections in EU law may have been "undermined" by recent judgements in the European Court of Justice. | He said both the government and trade unions strongly backed EU laws on the free movement of labour but that some of the protections in EU law may have been "undermined" by recent judgements in the European Court of Justice. |
| Hundreds walked out last week in a series of strikes around the UK in protest at the use of Italian and Portuguese labour at the Lindsey refinery. | Hundreds walked out last week in a series of strikes around the UK in protest at the use of Italian and Portuguese labour at the Lindsey refinery. |
| Mr Brown says the government will help workers facing redundancy | Mr Brown says the government will help workers facing redundancy |
| There is concern industrial action could flare up again this week. | There is concern industrial action could flare up again this week. |
| Contractors at nuclear power sites in Sellafield in Cumbria and Heysham in Lancashire, are due to decide whether to join the unofficial walkouts. | Contractors at nuclear power sites in Sellafield in Cumbria and Heysham in Lancashire, are due to decide whether to join the unofficial walkouts. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown told BBC One's Politics show he understood workers' fears over jobs, but said walkouts were "not the right thing to do". | Prime Minister Gordon Brown told BBC One's Politics show he understood workers' fears over jobs, but said walkouts were "not the right thing to do". |
| Lord Mandelson said he hoped the strikes would be called off after Total issued a statement maintaining that firms from the UK were not barred from bidding for subcontracts. | Lord Mandelson said he hoped the strikes would be called off after Total issued a statement maintaining that firms from the UK were not barred from bidding for subcontracts. |
| The firm said it sub-contracted "on a fair and non-discriminatory basis" and that wage rates were the same as for equivalent jobs on site. | The firm said it sub-contracted "on a fair and non-discriminatory basis" and that wage rates were the same as for equivalent jobs on site. |
| Labour laws | Labour laws |
| It would work with sub-contractors to ensure British workers were treated fairly, it added. | It would work with sub-contractors to ensure British workers were treated fairly, it added. |
| Lord Mandelson said arguments over rulings by the European Court were a separate issue. | Lord Mandelson said arguments over rulings by the European Court were a separate issue. |
| The European Court of Justice has recently provided interpretations of the EU's Posted Workers Directive, which seeks to ensure companies cannot use foreign employees to get round domestic labour laws and pay rates. | The European Court of Justice has recently provided interpretations of the EU's Posted Workers Directive, which seeks to ensure companies cannot use foreign employees to get round domestic labour laws and pay rates. |
| Its rulings suggest a company should be free to decide how it is staffed and free to provide the services it wishes. | Its rulings suggest a company should be free to decide how it is staffed and free to provide the services it wishes. |
| The most significant concerned a Latvian company, Laval, which had a contract to build schools in Sweden. | The most significant concerned a Latvian company, Laval, which had a contract to build schools in Sweden. |
| This form of contract clearly cannot go on Frank Field, Labour MP Brown criticises wildcat strikes | This form of contract clearly cannot go on Frank Field, Labour MP Brown criticises wildcat strikes |
| Laval claimed its freedom to use a Latvian workforce was being inhibited by attempts to block the move by Swedish unions. Its complaint was upheld. | Laval claimed its freedom to use a Latvian workforce was being inhibited by attempts to block the move by Swedish unions. Its complaint was upheld. |
| Unions in the UK suggest this ruling has now enabled foreign companies to discriminate against British workers for jobs. | Unions in the UK suggest this ruling has now enabled foreign companies to discriminate against British workers for jobs. |
| Former Labour minister Frank Field, co-chairman of a cross-party group on immigration, urged Mr Brown to push for a change in EU law to protect workers. | Former Labour minister Frank Field, co-chairman of a cross-party group on immigration, urged Mr Brown to push for a change in EU law to protect workers. |
| "This form of contract clearly cannot go on - where contracts are awarded and there's free movement of companies but those companies then restrict who can apply for those jobs. | "This form of contract clearly cannot go on - where contracts are awarded and there's free movement of companies but those companies then restrict who can apply for those jobs. |
| "That clearly has got to change and tomorrow [Monday] I hope he'll make an announcement, saying that if that is the law, then the law in the European Union is actually going to be changed." | "That clearly has got to change and tomorrow [Monday] I hope he'll make an announcement, saying that if that is the law, then the law in the European Union is actually going to be changed." |
| Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, which campaigns for Britain's exit from the EU, said: "'British jobs for British workers' will only happen when Britain is run by and for Britons." | Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, which campaigns for Britain's exit from the EU, said: "'British jobs for British workers' will only happen when Britain is run by and for Britons." |
| 'Massive influx' | 'Massive influx' |
| But the Lib Dems warned against any move by the government to exempt Britain from EU employment laws. | But the Lib Dems warned against any move by the government to exempt Britain from EU employment laws. |
| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said: "The truth is that twice as many British people live and work in the EU than EU citizens work here. Any attempt to ban EU citizens from jobs in Britain would be a massive own goal. | Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said: "The truth is that twice as many British people live and work in the EU than EU citizens work here. Any attempt to ban EU citizens from jobs in Britain would be a massive own goal. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYIt is a shame that it has come to this, but necessary if this is the only way it will get our government to put our interests above others. Carrie100, London Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAYIt is a shame that it has come to this, but necessary if this is the only way it will get our government to put our interests above others. Carrie100, London Send us your comments |
| "If every EU country followed suit, we would have to cope with a massive influx of British people who work overseas. | "If every EU country followed suit, we would have to cope with a massive influx of British people who work overseas. |
| "Pulling out of the labour rules in Europe would be a huge, self-defeating step too far." | "Pulling out of the labour rules in Europe would be a huge, self-defeating step too far." |
| The Conservatives said they understood people's fears about unemployment but said strikes were "not the way forward". | The Conservatives said they understood people's fears about unemployment but said strikes were "not the way forward". |
| Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the Conservatives "strongly supported" the free movement of Labour within the EU. | Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the Conservatives "strongly supported" the free movement of Labour within the EU. |
| But he said the British government was not doing enough to protect and create jobs, such as by offering tax rebates to firms who take on people who have been out of work for three months, as the Tories propose. | But he said the British government was not doing enough to protect and create jobs, such as by offering tax rebates to firms who take on people who have been out of work for three months, as the Tories propose. |