Unite protest outside engineering firms office

Unite construction members protested on Monday (23 Sept) outside the London offices of Jones Engineering in solidarity with an ongoing campaign from comrades in Ireland, and against the firm’s union busting activity. 

Mechanical workers are taking strike action in Ireland to win back travel time payments that have been cut by the employer. Workers in the sector used to be paid for the first hour of travel to work sites due to being expected to travel across the country to different sites.

This payment was stopped during the financial crisis in 2010, but the sector is now booming and profits have soared with the turnover of the top 50 contractors increasing by 68% since July 2021. 

What’s worse – Jones Engineering have been targeting Unite shop stewards with financial penalties and threats for standing up for their members.

The company sought a High Court injunction to prevent picketing after strike action in March 2023, and, in a move condemned by the union, attached three Unite shop stewards to the injunction, potentially making them liable for any costs and damages. 

Support and solidarity for mechanical workers from across the construction sector in Ireland has been incredible and the London Building Workers Branch decided it was important that they took the message to Jones Engineering in the UK.

Unite regional officer Declan Murphy said; “London workers demonstrated outside the Jones Engineering offices near Liverpool Street today to support our colleagues in Ireland and to tell the company that union busting is disgusting!

“We stand in solidarity with the Unite shop stewards who have been targeted and threatened and in solidarity at the ongoing industrial action to win back the first hour of travel time in the mechanical sector.

Declan added that “As well as Unite construction workers and officers at today’s protest it was fantastic to have support from members from Unite Community and the regional TUC.” 

By Keith Hatch