黑洞社区

Protesters joined a demonstration outside Balfour Beatty鈥檚 Blackfriars Station site this morning to voice their anger at proposed changes to their wages and conditions.

Unions claim contractors including Balfour Beatty and SES are planning to cut wages by up to 35%, although the contractors deny this.

Eight major electrical contractors are planning to walk out on the 40-year old Joint Industry Board wage agreement from March next year in order to set up a new pay scheme.

The protest began around 7am outside Blackfriars Station. Speaking at the rally, Steve Kelly, Unite鈥檚 London and South East branch secretary, called on protesters to 鈥渟tand strong鈥� against the pay cuts. 鈥淚t will be a tough fight but if we get together we can do it鈥�, he said.

Kelly said he believed the eight contractors鈥� decision to pull out for the JIB pay agreement was driven by profit 鈥減ure and simple鈥� and said he thought strike action would be successful in stopping the scheme from coming into force in March.

鈥淲e鈥檝e toppled them twice before,鈥� said Kelly, referring to successful demonstrations against industry pay cuts in 1991 and 1997. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see why we couldn鈥檛 do it again.鈥�