Concrete maker row

Fresh strike dates were announced by Unite today (February 20), in a further escalation of the dispute with Essex based Tarmac Building Products Ltd, over the creation of a two tier workforce.

Unite members at the Stanford Le Hope based company which produces concrete breeze blocks, are striking today and this Thursday (March 8) following the company’s decision to impose a new contract on new starters which will result in them receiving lower rates of pay, creating a two tier workforce.

New strike dates have been announced for Tuesday March 6 and Thursday March 8  and it has already been announced that there will be walkouts on Tuesday 20 and Thursday March 22, a total of nine days of strike action. Further strike dates are set to be announced in the coming days.

There have already been three days of strike action since the first day of action on January 30, all of which have been solidly supported by the membership. Since the strike action began Unite understands that production of concrete blocks at Tarmac has been severely affected.

 
“Tarmac was warned that further strike dates would be announced if this dispute was not resolved,” said Unite officer Guy Langston. “Due to the company’s refusal to bring forward proposals to resolve this dispute, that is what happened.

“Unite members never take strike action lightly but they believe that the changes that Tarmac is making to contracts are the thin end of the wedge.

“The strikes are having a severe effect on the company’s production capabilities. It is clearly in Tarmac’s interests to table fresh proposals to end this dispute.

“Unite remains ready and willing to sit down and negotiate with Tarmac at any time.”