As you will know some 1,200 contract staff went on stike last week in order to save 51 jobs at Total’s Lindsey oil refinery in North Lincs. There were many sympathy strikes around Britain including Yorkshire’s Drax and Eggborough power stations, Nottingham’s Ratcliffe station, the Aberthaw power station in South Wales, the Stanlow Oil Refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire and BP’s Saltend refinery near Hull.
In answer to this protest Total sacked 901 men and said that they could have their jobs back if they re-applied for them by Monday. This blatant brinksmanship on behalf of Total and should be met with widespread contempt.
But the left have been slow to back this dispute; partly because the media have portrayed it as being about nationalistic sentiment and also because refinery and power station workers are seen as the enemy by many environmental campaigners. In truth these are skilled workers have always worked internationally; they’re also the people with the skills to build widespread greener energy solutions if and when the political/economic tide changes.
You can help support the strikers by boycotting your local Total garage. Let them know what you’re doing…
Useful telephone numbers
* TOTAL UK Limited Head Office, Watford: 00 44 (0)1923 694000
* TOTAL UK Service Stations Customer Services: 00 44 (0) 8457 346 222
* TOTAL UK Service Station Property Services: 00 44 (0) 1923 694000
* TOTAL UK Press Office: 00 44 (0) 870 241 4337
Also get in touch with the Lindsey workers to show your support with much needed messages of solidarity…
Email: geminis[at]geminis.karoo.co.uk or
Text: 07706 7 10041
