DOCKERS at Tilbury will stage a second strike over a company attack on contracts.
This is the dockers’ second strike in their dispute with Enterprise Distribution Centre (EDC) over the arbitrary introduction of new contracts reports the Thurrock Enquirer.
The 45 employees of EDC – members of Unite, the country’s largest union – will be staging the 48-hour strike from 6.00am on Monday, 21 May.
This follows the initial 24 hour strike on 7 and 8 May which was the first strike by dockers at Tilbury since 1989.
Unite regional officer, Jane Jeffery said: “The EDC’s intransigent management have not moved in this dispute, since the first strike earlier this month.
“Our members are again taking action in a bid to get the company to enter into meaningful talks – if they don’t, the strikes will continue into the summer.
“Our members are not prepared to lose, on average, £2,500-a-year because the company has decided to arbitrarily introduce new contracts which are very detrimental to their living standards.”
The workers will be picketing outside the main gate of Tilbury docks in the dispute which centres on the company’s decision to introduce a ‘follow the ship’ contract.
This means that staff work when the ships are ready for unloading, and not to set shift patterns.
EDC deals with the unloading and distribution of paper reels.
If this dispute is about changes to working patterns, why are all the strikers carrying banners about fighting for decent pensions. Doesn’t that just prove that these people are the political pawns of a union that is simply out to bash the government at every opportunity.
Unions no longer really care about the workforce they all have a political agenda and as long as they are lining their own pockets they will continue to play the strike cards when any other govenment other than Labour is in power, it is about time that the Labour party were to seek their paymasters from other quarters.
@novoice your eyes are better than mine i cant see the pension sign on the flags the dispute is over bullying and harassment by management, not willing to talk about policies and a cut in money just a fair deal for a fair days work!!!!