A strike by dockers at the Port of Grangemouth has been suspended following a breakthrough in a dispute over shift patterns.
The union Unite said the action was suspended after port owners Forth Ports agreed to hold talks.
Arrangements are being made with the conciliation service Acas, with talks expected to begin early next week.
Unite said picket lines would be lifted and about 80 port workers would make "a full return to work" by Monday.
Crane drivers and loaders began a two-week strike on Tuesday, with Unite claiming that new rotas being introduced by Forth Ports amounted to a "de facto pay cut".
On Friday, Unite claimed that fuel supplies to forecourts in Scotland and the north of England could be hit by the strike.
Forth Ports said only its container quayside operations had been affected by the action.
'First step'
Announcing the suspension of the strike, Unite regional officer Sandy Smart said: "We are pleased that Forth Port's management have lifted their imposition on our members' shift rotas and agreed to enter into conciliation.
"Our strike action will now be suspended with immediate effect and picket lines will be lifted, enabling full operations at the port to get under way again.
"This is an important first step on the path to resolving this dispute.
"If Forth Port's management approach the conciliation with the same spirit in which they accepted our offer then we will be able to negotiate a mutually agreeable outcome."
The Port of Grangemouth handles more than 150,000 containers annually, with daily sailings to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe and Hamburg.
Threat of fuel crisis averted after dockers call off strike
Dockers vote to call off strike after port bosses remove imposition of new shift pattern.
The threat of a nationwide fuel crisis has been averted after dockers called off a strike over new shift patterns.
Dockers at Grangemouth suspended the industrial action on Friday evening after Forth Ports lifted the imposition of new shift patterns.
A union had claimed fuel supplies at petrol stations across Scotland and the north of England would be affected by the strike at the dockyards.
Unite picket lines at the dock could threaten supplies to petrol forecourts across the country, while Edinburgh Airport told airlines to get fuel elsewhere as a precaution.
There was a mass meeting of the dockers on Friday afternoon who were told the forth ports would lift the shift pattern at the centre of the dispute.
They then voted unanimously to bring the strike to an end as a result of the decision by bosses at the port.
They picketed beside the entrance to the Grangemouth fuel terminal and some tanker drivers refused to cross the line.
Bosses from refinery operator Petroineos said they were "frustrated" that Police Scotland had not moved the picket back to the original location.
The firm previously said access to its road station had to be maintained to "avoid a fuels crisis".
Unite regional officer Sandy Smart said: "We are pleased that Forth Port’s management have lifted their imposition on our members’ shift rotas and agreed to enter into conciliation.
"Our strike action will now be suspended with immediate effect and picket lines will be lifted, enabling full operations at the port to get underway again.
"This is an important first step on the path to resolving this dispute. If Forth Port’s management approach the conciliation with the same spirit in which they accepted our offer then we will be able to negotiate a mutually agreeable outcome."
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "Our primary responsibility is to keep people safe and prevent them putting themselves or others in danger.
"We also recognise the right to peaceful protest and will liaise with all partners and agencies to ensure those involved in the protest or other users of the Forth Port and Grangemouth area are kept safe and any disruption to the local communities is minimised."
Grangemouth dock strike and solidarity action forces bosses to back down
Dock workers have forced bosses at Grangemouth docks in Scotland to back down.The Unite union has suspended a two-week strike for new talks over the imposition of new working conditions.
Workers effectively picketed out the port. Last night strikers acted quickly to set up a second picket after a new road began to be used to get container trucks out of the port. Strikers described the move as a “game changer”.
All of a sudden Scotland’s biggest fuel terminal was trapped behind a picket line and tanker drivers refused to cross it. The pressure on bosses became too much.
Rumours of petrol shortages abound as Scotland’s second biggestfuel terminal was already behind another picket at a different gate. Only one other terminal in Clydebank near Glasgow, the country’s smallest, could get fuel out and it was running out fast.
Docker Winston told Socialist Worker, “Forth Ports were telling people that just 50 percent of us would strike and it would be all over soon. But every single one of us walked out.
“We’ve shown they can’t do anything without us - after just four days they’ve buckled.”
Impose
The Grangemouth strike showed bosses can be beaten back (Pic: Socialist Worker)
Forth Ports wanted to impose new shift patterns that would see dockers working every other weekend. But the dockers were solid and showed imposition can be beaten.
“We’re not bowing down to whatever they want us to do,” said Arthur, another Grangemouth dock worker.
“They say the changes to our conditions ‘are all about the customer’. But I bet their customers are still paying top dollar and Forth Ports don’t want to pay us a premium rate.”
The union announced that fresh talks are to take place from Monday. Some questioned whether it was a good strategy to suspend the strike. But there’s no denying bosses have been given a bloody nose and the dockers’ confidence has grown.
One source close to the talks told Socialist Worker, “What happened with Ineos and Unitewas a blow. But the Grangemouth dockers and tanker drivers have shown that it wasn’t a fatal blow.”
Workers know they may have to come out again and bosses could renew their attack. But the bosses’ retreat has shown how trade unions can work together to beat them back.
Winston said, “The tanker drivers have been tremendous and we couldn’t have got here without them. The next time they are out we’ll be with them.”
Send solidarity messages to alexander.smart@unitetheunion.org
Comments
Post a Comment