Scaffs picket line 1 November, photo Alistair Tice

Scaffs picket line 1 November, photo Alistair Tice   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

News of the all-out strike by 60 scaffolders employed by contractor Actavo at British Steel in Scunthorpe is spreading, with Danish scaffs sending solidarity. Into the sixth week of industrial action, the strikers’ resolve remains high, with gazebos, tents, braziers, and kettles in place for winter, if that’s what it takes. The hot noodles delivered by Hull Trades Council’s Unity Shop were especially well received!

But the key to winning Unite’s demand for the scaffs to be paid the national industry (NAECI) rate is inside the British Steel plant where hundreds of other Unite members work. The strikers have taken the initiative this week of producing a health and safety survey that they are handing out to British Steel workers going into work, asking them to report on safety concerns over scaffolding on site. This can be a step towards appealing for their support on a ‘solidarity with the scaffs day’, which would put far more pressure on Actavo and British Steel to pay up.

Alistair Tice, Yorkshire Socialist Party