Wobs Support The Wildcats

Birmingham members of the radical industrial unionist IWW this week took action in solidarity with the workers sacked last week by Total and the wildcat strike action that has spread around the country in their defence.

This is their news release:

Following the sacking of 647 striking workers by Total last week, the Industrial Workers of the World yesterday (Tuesday) protested outside one of the main Total petrol stations in Birmingham. They called for an end to the further assault on workers' rights. Total sacked the 647 striking workers and ordered them to re-apply for their jobs. This has since prompted a wave of wildcat strikes involving around 3000 workers and a rally outside the plant yesterday (Tuesday). The IWW protesters held placards that read 'Stop Total Sacking Striking Workers' and 'An injury to one is an injury to all'. They maintained a presence in front of the petrol station for 2 hours during the evening rush hour. Most of the cars crawling past in the slow-moving traffic showed signs of support, and trade at the petrol station was much slower than normal. The owner of the petrol station was indignant that the protest was focused on his petrol station. But he did seem to acknowledge that as an employer even his best interests weren't served by Total's mistreatment of workers. Keeping up bad publicity for Total, and combining it with the ongoing workers' struggles and strikes, will hopefully end with a victory for the striking Total workers. "We need to end this practice of bosses cutting pay, jobs and working conditions in order to line their own pockets - and that means fighting back when they try it!", said one of the IWW protesters.

West Mids IWW

More on the Lindsey Oil Refiinery dispute from Left Luggage, here.