To: MulhollandDrive who wrote (181107 ) 2/1/2009 8:34:57 PM From: MulhollandDrive Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 306849 telegraph.co.uk 'Jobs for British' protesters threaten strike against power supplies Britain is facing the threat of a co-ordinated nationwide strike which could hit energy supplies later this week as the dispute over the employment of foreign workers escalates. By Robert Winnett and Simon Johnson Last Updated: 12:25AM GMT 02 Feb 2009 Oil refinery strikes: Gordon Brown promises to talk to industry Protesters at the Lindsey oil refinery in North Lincolnshire Photo: PA Union leaders warned that Gordon Brown had risked "inflaming" the situation by "condemning" workers with legitimate complaints.British workers have alleged that they have been barred from applying to work on major construction projects across the country. They claim that some firms are using loopholes in European laws to only hire cheaper foreign workers. Workers at power plants, oil refineries and nuclear sites will meet this morning to discuss what action to take. Sources disclosed that a co-ordinated national strike for later in the week is likely to be called. It follows a series of illegal wildcat strikes across the country last week. Some trade union members are pushing for more radical steps to be taken such as blockades of oil refineries and petrol stations. Similar action caused a major crisis in 2000. There are fears that right-wing extremists are also seeking to join the action with the British National Party (BNP) calling on its members to assist the strikers. Ministers are also braced for protests to turn violent after rioting broke out during industrial action in several European cities. Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, yesterday said that maintaining the British tradition of "peaceful protest" was "really important". The industrial action started last week after construction work at the Total Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire was subcontracted to Italian and Portuguese workers. As well as strikes by about 600 workers at the Lindsey plant, protests spread to up to 20 other construction sites.On Friday almost 4,000 workers had walked out in protest and a similar number are expected to stage action on Monday It was initially thought that workers at the plants were angry about Britons not being employed for the construction work. The Prime Minister had previously said that he would create "British jobs for British workers". However, it is now alleged that British workers may have been explicitly banned from applying for jobs at the sites. It is claimed that firms are using a recent European legal judgement to restrict employment to certain countries. Other workers say that foreign workers are paid the minimum wage but then a significant proportion of their salary is automatically deducted to pay for "bed and board" - provided at expensive rates by their employers. British workers are excluded from such arrangements. Over the weekend, ministers called in Acas, the arbitration service, to investigate the claims.The Prime Minister and Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, have condemned the unofficial action. Mr Brown said he recognised people were "worried" about jobs being taken by workers from other countries, but stressed that the UK was part of a "single European market". He said the strikes were "not defensible". Lord Mandelson added: "It would be a huge mistake to retreat from a policy where within the rules, UK companies can operate in Europe and European companies can operate here. "Protectionism would be a sure-fire way of turning recession into depression." However, yesterday there were signs of a split within the Labour Party with other senior figures apparently urging the Government to intervene to help British workers. Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary and a former trade union leader, insisted that wildcat strikes were ``unhelpful'. However, he added: "If workers are being brought across here on worse terms and conditions to actually get jobs in front of British workers on the basis of dumbing down the terms and conditions that would be wrong, and I understand the anger about that. "These various judgments have distorted the original intention and we need to bring in fresh directives to make it absolutely clear that people cannot be undercut in this way." Peter Hain, the former Work and Pensions Secretary, added that something had gone "badly wrong" with British employment laws."Clearly something has gone badly wrong. The Lindsey Oil Refinery situation is unacceptable, because I do not believe that those Italian and other workers can be getting the same conditions and rights and pay as the British workers who would have filled those jobs would be entitled to," he said. He added: "We should stop gold plating European directives. After all, the first duty of a British government is to protect its own voters, its own citizens and its own workers." The trade unions are not officially backing the strikes which are illegal. However, senior union leaders yesterday voiced support for the workers' complaints. It also emerged that ministers are informally discussing the situation with union leaders. Paul Kenny, General Secretary of the GMB union urged the government to do more to try to resolve the row rather than "blame' British workers. Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, was also at the meeting, which Mr Simpson said was held to try to find a breakthrough to the deadlocked row. "We advised that a solution to the problem was for the government to ensure that companies applying for contracts to build UK public interest structure projects sign up to corporate social responsibility agreements which establish a guaranteed fair access for labour," the union leader said. "I have asked the ministers to give the union's proposals serious consideration. It is imperative that we reach a speedy resolution to this growing problem." Mr Simpson pointed out that Britain will need to replace more than half its power stations in the coming years and he said British workers must be given a fair chance of being recruited.