‘Big freeze’ strikers return to work
CONSTRUCTION workers who walked off site in an alleged row over tea-making at Teesside’s Sabic site have returned to work.
Tees-based Jimmy Skivington of the General Municipal and Boilermakers’ Union (GMB) said the dispute had not been resolved and another meeting between union representatives and the company is due to take place on Monday, but the 300-plus contractors were back on the job.
Around 500-600 staff are in the last stages of building SABIC’s £200m Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) facility, which is due to be fully operational later this year.
Two weeks ago, as temperatures plummeted and pipes froze, workers employed by construction firm Shaw Group protested because there was no water to boil a kettle or flush toilets.
Mr Skivington stressed it was two to three days before workers finally downed tools. They included platers, welders, pipe fitters and riggers for Shaw Group and scaffolders employed by Capes.
Mr Skivington said: “The company and unions have entered into discussions to try to resolve the problem.
“The warmer weather has meant that the water is running freely again and the workers are back on site.”
Shaw Group declined to comment.
