“Good for them and shame on the refinary. There is high unemployment on our area and the jobs should have first been offered to British workers.”

“nite haha wrote: 'Unite have been promoting jobs for foreigners for years'.

This is true. I think many people have been under the mistaken impression that British unions fight to protect the rights of *British* workers - the same British workers who pay their wages every month.

Not so. The TUC now has it's own agenda in the shape of the European Trades Union Confederation. A pan-European organisation made up of Unions from all 27 member states. This very highly-paid group of dark-suited fat-cats (including our own TUC representatives) have been working hand in glove with Brussels for decades, to
.. " help bring about a *European labour market* on four key conditions: that it is based on the principle of equal wages and working conditions for equal work in the same workplace and on the same territory" (it's own words)

... and in the process, selling British workers down the river to the benefit of foreign workers, and in exchange for their own advancement within the EU institutions.

And the result of all this wheeler-dealing? You're no longer British workers (or Italian, German, Portugese or Polish workers) because the EU doesn't recognise national borders. You're all workers of the 'European Union' now and set to be part of one huge mass of cheap, disposable labour which can be moved around at the whim of governments and big business.

No point in blaming LOR. It's only taking advantage of a system put into place by those *you* elected to (supposedly) look after British interests. Well, British interests don't count anymore. The only interests are those of the European Union. And that's why - despite what your two-faced Union rep or your MP says - this strike cannot be allowed to succeed. It would be against EU law.
And they've known this all along.

You've been well and truly shafted.

Welcome to the EU, folks.”

“congratulations derek, you're a pr*ck. well done on pointing this out to every one on this site. if a tradesman has a new car and 3 holidays a year its because hes earned it and fought for this over the years.if he works 7, 12s (thats seven days a week, 12 hours a day) he has no reason to feel guilty for it. i wonder what job you do? cos your very, very bitter are'nt you. come down to L.O.R. and tell these lads exactly how you feel. and good luck cos you wouldn't last a minute!”

“Tez from gy
Lets see how pro total you are when they bring in foreign workers on less salary than you to do your job,”

“Derek of gy, i take it you left school early? didnt bother training for a trade and now have to settle for a low paid job yes?”

“Jo - I'm sure they will forgive you.”

“Percy said "I didn't have you down for a racist".
You know me better than that Percy.
But you're right, it was a bit offish. Grovelling apologies then to all Italian & Portugese tradesmen everywhere! ..

(.. all three of you)

(JOKING!!)”

“Tez, the reason a majority of consumerables bought in this country are manufactured abroad is because over the years our manufacturing base has been destroyed by subsequent governments encouraging UK firms to spread their wealth abroad and by not giving enough investment in the right places and squandering investments handed out to try to retain and bribe foreign companies to build factories here. Rather than use UK companies to build and manufacture they follow the trend and farm out work to the lowest priced manufacturers (not always the best but the cheapest) these being foreign rather than British. Look to our near neighbours and you'll see that the French, Germans, Italians and Spanish all encourage the use and buying of products made in their own countries. Even starting with the use of diplomatic and police cars most near EEC counrties use cars manufactured at home but alas all we could do was sell off our car industry for £1 to the Germans rather than sort out the mess the management got themselves into. Is it too late for this country to turn the tide ? The answer is probably as the present government encouraged heavy investment in one sector, the banking and investment companies (mostly foreign but run from here) and we've only just started to reap the wind when it comes to greedy bankers (no not rhyming slang) Yesterday it was said that the UK is going to be hit hardest and for longer than any other progressive nation by the recession and that's due to us having few or no core industries. When this government saddled us with a huge debt to shore up our sinking economy I wander if any of their money supremo's thought what could have been achieved by our own home grown companies had they invested £42 billion (2008/2009) in them rather than wait until the country is on its knees and then act. £3 trillion is the figure banded about that we, and that's you me and our children. will have to pay back in debts over the next 20 + years. Good luck to the guys on the picket line, though I wander how long it'll take the company to call in the police (backed by our government and the two local MP's who rely on Mr Browns hand outs to keep them in the style to which they have become accusumed) to break up and disband the picket line.”

“Well Jo, I never had you down as a racist. To say that you couldn't find 400 skilled tradesmen in Italy and Portugal is a ridiculous statement. I don't think this argument is about the merits or the standard of work of the foreign workers, it's about the fact that there ARE people either out of work, or in danger of losing their jobs, that CAN do this work.

The only thing I would say is that it is perfectly ok for British workers to go wherever they like to earn a few quid - but as soon as the boot is on the other foot, everybody kicks off.

Obviously I don't know all the ins and outs of what is going on, but at first glance it would seem that LOR are in the wrong on this one.”

“There's nothing wrong with capitalism, but what's happening across Europe now is rampant Corporatism, where Big Business always wins and to hell with the workers.

I applaud the strikers .. my only grouse is that this should have happened months (years?) ago before the rot set in.”