Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Employee relationsLatest NewsIndustrial action / strikesRecruitment & retentionMigrant workers

Wildcat strikes staged by refinery staff in row over Polish workers

by Kat Baker 20 May 2009
by Kat Baker 20 May 2009

A series of wildcat strikes have begun by workers at refineries and power plants across the country in a row over ‘British jobs for British people’.

The strikes started after 50 workers at the South Hook liquid gas plant in Milford Haven, west Wales, complained that an agreement to employ local labour had been breached.

The workers claimed the contractor Hertel UK hired about 50 Polish workers to fill vacancies at the plant.

Following news of the walk-out in Wales, 200 staff at the Fiddlers Ferry power station in Widnes, Cheshire, also stopped working in sympathy, and another 200 workers walked out at the ConocoPhillips Humber refinery in north Lincolnshire.

Workers at Aberthaw power station in south Wales and the Dragon LNG site also walked out.

The demonstrations are reminiscent of strikes held at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire in January, which were sparked after Italian and Portuguese workers were given all the jobs on a new contract.

Hertel UK has said it tried to source local labour but could not find the necessary skills.

The contractor’s managing director, David Fitzsimons, told the Daily Mail: “For this particular project we have looked to employ local labour. However, despite our efforts we were unable to source skilled people for the start of the project.

“As a result, we subcontracted the works to a third party, which also employs non-UK labour. This is a short-term project and our involvement will be for approximately three months. We have agreed with union officials that we will hire local skilled personnel once they are identified.”

However, Paul Kenny, general secretary of GMB union, said Hertel UK had “deliberately flouted” the agreement.

He said: “I understand that a contractor, Hertel UK, has point blank refused to adhere to this written agreement.

“This deliberate flouting of an agreement has angered members employed on this site and I am informed that they have walked out. There is widespread anger and outrage at repeated attempts in different projects around the country to exclude local people from job opportunities on these projects.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“The political spotlight needs to be turned on these companies so that discriminatory employment practices cease immediately.”

Earlier in the week, more than 200 Visteon UK workers officially ended their seven-week sit-in protest after receiving an improved redundancy package.

Kat Baker

previous post
Corporate social responsibility: what’s it worth?
next post
Met officers ‘not properly trained’ ahead of G20 protest

You may also like

Workplace disputes: ‘Most employment tribunals could be avoided’

12 Jun 2025

Racism claims have tripled and ‘Equality Act is...

12 Jun 2025

Spending Review: ‘Much-needed’ cash but ‘little on workforce’

11 Jun 2025

CIPD Festival of Work: ‘Wellbeing is not an...

11 Jun 2025

Hybrid working trend continues to grow despite RTO...

11 Jun 2025

School’s bid to appeal Kristie Higgs ruling refused...

11 Jun 2025

Healthdaq: Shaking up health and social care recruitment

11 Jun 2025

Personnel Today Awards 2025: Deadline extended

11 Jun 2025

How employers can support cancer carers better

11 Jun 2025

Parental leave system is ‘broken’, say MPs

10 Jun 2025

  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+