IWGB announces strike dates at Balfour Beatty for the new year

The IWGB University of London branch has given notice to Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW) of 3 more days of industrial action, to take place on the 27, 28 and 29 January 2014.

Last month’s historic strike produced a major victory for the outsourced workers’ campaign. Thanks to a great display of solidarity during the strike, a magnificent and unprecedented picket line, and huge support from the wider community, BBW immediately announced concessions over holiday and sick pay conditions (though these are still not in line with those received by directly employed workers).

However, rather than negotiate directly with the IWGB, BBW instead agreed a deal with UNISON, which ignored workers’ demands for a proper pension, and for safeguards for the jobs of the Garden Halls workers.

It is obviously deeply disappointing that the IWGB, by far the largest union among BBW employees, was not been consulted regarding these proposals, and obviously any agreements made on behalf of workers by a union which does not represent them are meaningless. Members decided unanimously at an emergency branch meeting to continue to take strike action until all their demands were met.

Branch Chair Henry Chango Lopez said that the company had left his union with no option, and stated: ‘I can only stress again our (and ACAS’s) bewilderment at BBW’s failure thus far to negotiate with us on any of these issues AND to reiterate our willingness to participate fully in meaningful talks to resolve this dispute’.

Thanks to thousands of pounds of donations to the strike fund, all workers will be fully compensated for wages lost in the strike action on 27 and 28 November.