26 July 2012

Rank and file activists gathered outside Ratcliffe power station, Nottinghamshire, today protesting at the victimisation of Unite health and safety rep Jason Poulter.

The ‘sparks’ at Ratcliffe have already successfully defended Jason once – he was suspended from work earlier this year but won his job back after 600 workers staged an unofficial walk-out demanding his reinstatement.

Now Jason’s bosses at contractor Spie Matthew Hall have made him redundant, but are refusing to say why he was selected.

Rank and file activists are demanding Jason’s reinstatement and are planning further action in the near future to win that demand.

In February, militant unofficial action by sparks across the country saw off a huge attack on their pay and conditions by the contractors, who wanted to impose worse terms in a package called Besna.

But the rank and file electricians beat Besna – now they are determined to prevent one of their reps being victimised. Union members at Ratcliffe say any further victimisations will be met with industrial action.