A two-week strike has begun at Scotland’s largest container port in a dispute over shift patterns.
The union Unite called the strike after members based at the Port of Grangemouth voted overwhelmingly for industrial action.
The union claims new rotas being introduced by port owners Forth Ports amount to a “de facto pay cut”.
Forth Ports called the strike “unjustified” and said the changes reflected the needs of customers.
The strike action is due to run until 00:01 on Tuesday 29 March, after which a complete ban on overtime is due to start.
The strike involves operatives such as crane drivers and loaders.
‘Draconian approach’
Ahead of the start of the action, Unite regional officer Sandy Smart said: "We are on the verge of a prolonged strike action at Scotland’s biggest port because of Forth Ports’ draconian approach to employment relations.
“The basics of good relations are consultation and negotiation but Forth Ports completely ignored this to impose a range of measures that will cause significant financial detriment to their employees.”
The Port of Grangemouth handles more than 150,000 containers annually, with daily sailings to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe and Hamburg.
This is a story about workers sticking together & fighting for their terms & conditions…most of the drivers on here won’t have a clue what that’s all about! lol
busteredwards:
This is a story about workers sticking together & fighting for their terms & conditions…most of the drivers on here won’t have a clue what that’s all about! lol
busteredwards:
This is a story about workers sticking together & fighting for their terms & conditions…most of the drivers on here won’t have a clue what that’s all about! lol
busteredwards:
This is a story about workers sticking together & fighting for their terms & conditions…most of the drivers on here won’t have a clue what that’s all about! lol
+2
+3
Compare these guys with the fannies on the Stobby ‘‘140 crikey’’ thread.
Like comparing black with white.
busteredwards:
This is a story about workers sticking together & fighting for their terms & conditions…most of the drivers on here won’t have a clue what that’s all about! lol
Concretejim:
I thought only the french strike these days.
When i dont like the rates being payed, or the shifts i find something else. No-one forces people to stay and take it.
When the french strike at Calais its the total opposite on here. None of this +1+2+3+4 lark.
Sorry mate, in my case I just have admiration for those that do not just bend over and take it up the arse like the majority of drivers do…as long as they are in the right that is.
If that offends you I can’t help it.
war1974:
there is a difference between taking it up the ■■■ and striking for being asked to do what 1000’s of others do.
Do you think they should just roll over & accept the proposals of the company then? Forth Ports have messed around with workers terms & conditions for years, this strike was always on the cards, I don’t know where these 1000’s of others you refer to work, but if they are happy to accept cuts to pension rights, imposed weekend working for no extra cash, & various other unwelcome changes to their jobs, then more fool them!
war1974:
there is a difference between taking it up the ■■■ and striking for being asked to do what 1000’s of others do.
Do you think they should just roll over & accept the proposals of the company then? Forth Ports have messed around with workers terms & conditions for years, this strike was always on the cards, I don’t know where these 1000’s of others you refer to work, but if they are happy to accept cuts to pension rights, imposed weekend working for no extra cash, & various other unwelcome changes to their jobs, then more fool them!
where does it say any of what you have just spouted? it states changes to shift patterns!
20 years ago most jobs were Monday to Friday its changed simple as.
busteredwards:
Do you think they should just roll over & accept the proposals of the company then?
Some people do unfortunately.
I remember years ago the British Airways cabin crew were going on strike over cuts in overtime, pensions etc and all I heard from the general public was whinging that their holidays were going to be disrupted and that the cabin crew were being selfish and should be grateful they had jobs, implying they should accept what ever BA said with a bowed head and a “thank you very much sir” while turning their caps in their hands. Some people think staff should accept whatever their employer forces on them to avoid disrupting anyone else and bosses play on this (BA released a statement saying something like they may have to cancel flights which was blatantly trying to turn the public against the staff)
What some people fail to realise is that no one takes going on strike lightly. You dont get paid so for a strike vote to go through means it must be pretty bad and drastic changes they want to push through.
war1974:
where does it say any of what you have just spouted? it states changes to shift patterns!
For the last 8 years, my son has been a straddle carrier operator at the port, don’t believe everything you read in the papers fella, there’s a whole raft of changes Forth Ports want to force through.
war1974:
there is a difference between taking it up the ■■■ and striking for being asked to do what 1000’s of others do.
So 1000s of others have had their t.s and c.s changed to their detrement and financial loss, with no resistance and full acceptance, therefore you think everybody else should follow suit, I can’t see the logic of that at sll mate.
I still say it’s metaphorically taking it up the arse.
Concretejim:
I thought only the french strike these days.
When i dont like the rates being payed, or the shifts i find something else. No-one forces people to stay and take it.
When the french strike at Calais its the total opposite on here. None of this +1+2+3+4 lark.
It’s ok saying find something else and it’s what I’ve done when I’ve not been happy with the situation I’ve been in.
Now that isn’t such a problem for me, I’m pretty mobile, so I can go and work in a another part of the Country or Europe almost at the drop of a hat, but for a worker with family ties to a place moving might not be an option and alternative jobs in the area might be thin on the ground.
And at what point do you run out of decent companies to work for, if you have to move every time the terms and conditions change for the worse.
Usual story, workers being led like lambs to the slaughter by militant shop stewards to try and score wider political points. The shipping lines won’t be dictated to by the union. The work will go elsewhere, and port will turn into another northern wasteland like so many other steel and dock yards.
Dockers in Seaforth were whinging about Dock Board imposing 24hr working at Liverpool when they had their last big strike…see a lot of them driving taxis now.
I could mention a recent thread about the PDU but can’t see the point!