CONTRACTORS at Valero refinery are on strike today in protest over the rising cost-of-living eating into their real-time earnings.
As oil companies start to post recordbreaking profits, over 250 workers have staged the wildcat strike, despite emails from employers explaining that they would lose wages, bonuses and could be subject to disciplinary action.
On Wednesday, workers gathered outside the main entrance in response to a pay rise of 2.5%.
However, with inflation expected to hit 11.7% by the end of this year, the contractors fear they’ll be out of pocket.
Three weeks ago refuelling staff at Heathrow Airport went on strike. Aviation Fuel Services, which is a partner of Valero, saw its staff walk out between 05:00 HRS on Thursday 21 July and end at 04:59 HRS on Sunday 24 July.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “AFS is wholly owned by incredibly wealthy energy companies who are entirely able to provide our members with a decent pay increase. This is yet another example of energy companies boosting profits at the expense of workers.
“Unite will be providing its members at AFS with its unstinting support until the company makes a pay offer which meets members’ expectations and this dispute is resolved.”
The workers have not received a pay rise for three years, during which time they have seen their incomes fall by 15.5% in real terms. AFS had belatedly made an offer of a 10 per cent increase but this was rejected by members as it did not meet their expectations.
AFS is a joint venture operation. Its partners include BP, Total Energies, Q8 Aviation and Valero Energy. Energy companies have seen their profits surge in recent months, which in turn has increased inflation and worsened the cost of living crisis.
Unite regional officer Kevin Hall said: “The strike action will cause severe disruption and delays at Heathrow but this dispute is entirely of AFS’ own making. It initially refused to enter into negotiations and only belatedly made an offer which workers judged entirely unacceptable.
“Even at the eleventh hour strike action could be avoided if AFS made a substantially improved offer. The clock is ticking for AFS”
