Tarmac’s Essex block plant strikes escalate

Unite, the UK’s largest union, is intensifying strike action in its dispute with Essex concrete block maker Tarmac Building Products Ltd over the creation of a two tier workforce at the Stanford-le-Hope block plant.
 
A 48 hour strike starting next Wednesday (28 March)  at 06:00 and ending on Friday 30 March, has been announced, in addition to this week’s two 24 hour stoppages on Tuesday 20 and Thursday 22 March, .
 
The dispute which has already seen seven days of strike action this year, after the company would not agree to a level playing field.

A spokesperson for Tarmac said: “We continue to make every effort to resolve the industrial action and are continuing our discussions with Unite. We fully support peoples’ right to legal protest and want to work with Unite to ensure these can be undertaken in a safe manner. In the meantime, we’ll continue to focus our efforts on safely supplying customers and resolving matters with employees through constructive discussions.”
 
 Unite regional officer Guy Langston said: “We have an imposed contract of employment for new starters that is simply unacceptable to our members. We have advised Tarmac to tear up this contract and get around the table for meaningful talks to resolve what is simply a bypassing of the agreed process.
 
“Unite members believe that if these changes are unchallenged there will be a domino effect and the pay and conditions of all staff members will come under attack.”