{"id":8133,"date":"2016-03-15T17:14:45","date_gmt":"2016-03-15T17:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=8133"},"modified":"2016-03-15T17:14:45","modified_gmt":"2016-03-15T17:14:45","slug":"draconian-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=8133","title":{"rendered":"‘Draconian approach’"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Port workers at the Port of Grangemouth kicked off a two-week strike today (March 15) after their employer Forth Ports imposed changes to shift work without consultation.<\/p>\n

 
\nThese changes will see the port workers lose an astounding \u00c2\u01411,800 a year.<\/p>\n

 
\nThe strike action began today (March 15) just after midnight and will continue until midnight on Tuesday, March 29.<\/p>\n

 
\nThe mandate for the walkout was overwhelming \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Unite members in the port operatives division voted 100 per cent in favour of strike action on the back of a 97 per cent turnout.<\/p>\n

 
\nUnite regional officer Sandy Smart explained that the strike action at Scotland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s biggest port was direct fallout from Forth Ports\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bdraconian approach to employment relations\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe 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,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 
\nThe imposed changes to shift rotation at the port affecting operative work include a 25 per cent increase in weekend shift work with the effective removal of weekend overtime rates, as well as a decrease in night shift cover from one week in seven to one week in eight.<\/p>\n

 
\nAn axe to weekend overtime rates means port workers will be \u00c2\u01411600 pounds out of pocket each year, and the reduced night shift cover will cost workers an additional \u00c2\u0141200 pounds annually.<\/p>\n

 
\nSmart expressed frustration at Forth Ports\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 intransigence in its refusal to consult with members.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have repeatedly approached the employer in an effort to resolve this situation and avoid a damaging dispute but we have been stonewalled at every turn,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 
\nSmart emphasised that the strike action is not a pay dispute.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe striking port workers are standing up to protect their terms and conditions,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 
\nHe explained that last year, Forth Ports had brought in consultants in order to make efficiency savings. One of their main proposals was to increase the number of shift teams from seven to eight.<\/p>\n

 
\nAdding this tweak to a previous change that made weekend working compulsory \u00e2\u20ac\u201c one which the workforce had accepted \u00e2\u20ac\u201c meant that weekend work had significantly increased but the workers would no longer be compensated on overtime rates.<\/p>\n

 
\nThis move also cut the availability of overtime work on night shifts.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bEssentially these changes meant that workers who were keen to do overtime on weekends — mostly younger workers without families — were no longer getting the extra pay, while on the other hand, workers who were quite happy not to work on weekends were being forced into it, again, for no extra pay.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\nSmart said that the overwhelming mandate for strike action showed just how resolved the workforce was to protect their terms and conditions.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve accepted changes to terms and conditions before but this time, it was one step too far,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere was an overwhelming feeling among the workforce that if they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stand up now, things will only get worse for them in the future.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bA two-week strike is considerably long, and the decision was not taken lightly,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Smart added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bStrike action is always a last resort \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been driven to this by the employer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard-nosed attitude.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\nForth Ports responded last night to the media by arguing that workers understood that their shift patters may change in the future.<\/p>\n

 
\n“Vessels call at the port seven days a week and we need to be able to service those vessels,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 a Forth Ports spokesperson said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur staff and their union accepted the need for such flexibility, and that shift patterns may require to change in the future, when this element of their employment contracts was agreed in 2011.”<\/p>\n

 
\nBut Smart hit back at Forth Ports\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 comments, highlighting again the forced imposition of the changes.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat’s unjustified is Forth Ports\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 imposition of changes to shift patterns without any consultation and to the significant detriment of our members,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt is ridiculous that in the 21st century some employers think it is appropriate to manage by diktat rather than dialogue.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe’re not hostile to change and our members understand the challenges and demands of their industry better than anyone,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bHowever, changes should be negotiated through the proper channels of employment relations and that’s not happened here.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe are ready and willing to meet with the employer but that requires Forth Ports senior management entering into a meaningful dialogue and actually listening to their employees\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 concerns,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Smart went on to say.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bRegrettably they have given no indication whatsoever that they are prepared to do so.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\nStay tuned on UNITElive for the latest updates as the strike continues.<\/p>\n

Pic by Robert Murray<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Port workers at the Port of Grangemouth kicked off a two-week strike today (March 15) after their employer Forth Ports imposed changes to shift work without consultation.   These changes will see the port workers lose an astounding \u00c2\u01411,800 a year.   The strike action began today (March 15) just after midnight and will continue […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[163,499,500],"wps_subtitle":"Port workers strike against shift pay change ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8133"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8133"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8136,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8133\/revisions\/8136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}