Get Out of Bed early this Friday and show workers at the Channel Tunnel
Rail Link site (and also through this, Laing O'Rourke workers up and
down the country) that there is solidarity with them in their fight
against the unacceptable contract being forced upon them!


When? Friday November 5th
Where? The Channel Tunnel Rail Link Site, Phoenix Road, London NW1
(nearest tube Kings Cross or Euston)
What time? 7am

Workers at the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) site at Kings Cross,
London have declared they will hold a sit-in strike this Friday over the
barring of trade union reps at their worksite.

Around 200 workers, employed by construction giant Laing O'Rourke, will
down tools and refuse to work until Union reps from the GMB are allowed
on site.

Workers at Laing O'Rourke's sites at Canary Wharf, Terminal 5, Newham
Hospital, Ascot, Birmingham and Liverpool have been under pressure to
sign a new contract from the comapny which will see the basic rate of
pay halved, cuts of #20 per day for holiday pay, bonuses paid at the
discretion of management and a period of 40 days notice given for days
off.

Workers have been told that if they do not sign the new contract, they
will be sacked. Construction Union UCAAT has told workers to sign the
contract despite there having been no ballot or negotiation with Laing.

The GMB (General Municipal and Boilermakers Union) has been barred off
the site in violation of established construction industry agreements.

The contract has been rebranded 'the contrick' by workers and most at
the CTRL site are standing their ground in refusing
representation by UCAAT, a union which has been accused of entering into
a 'sweetheart deal' with Laing.

Over 200 workers attended a lunchtime meeting in the park opposite the
CTRL site last week and elected workshop stewards. Resistance to the
'contrick' is mounting and both workers and management are showing no
signs of giving in.

Contacts

Steve Hedley, Joint Sites Committee 07985 438 301