Eighteen months ago Gordon Brown promised British jobs for British workers - a slogan we learnt had also been used by the BNP. Yesterday that phrase was used in anger against him as British workers saw 400 largely Italian employees of an Italian contractor recruited to build an extension to the Lindsay Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire. The Sun identifies fourteen wildcat strikes in support of action taken by Lindsay's British workers.
Billy Bones (a great name that could have come from the 1970s) - a pipefitter at the Lindsey refinery and union official - told the FT: “I would not be surprised if by Monday afternoon the whole construction industry nationwide is out. We’ve got our backs against the wall. This has been brewing for years. We have the skills to do the jobs but are not getting them.”
Yesterday in Davos, David Cameron was quick to criticise Gordon Brown for using the British workers phrase:
"There are legitimate questions to be asked of this company. If it is disqualifying British workers from applying for jobs, then that is illegal. But the Prime Minister should never have used that slogan. On the one hand he lectures everyone about globalisation and on the other he borrows this slogan from the BNP. He has been taking people for fools and has been found out."
Labour's double failure to (1) control immigration from outside the EU and (2) to reskill British workers during better times means that there are no easy solutions to this crisis. EU law protects the right of nationals from member states to work here. Over at CentreRight, Peter Whittle believes that we should strongly support the protestors. It's a temptation but one we should resist. Conservatives should not tolerate illegal strikes and, more strategically, we should argue for the long-term benefits of open markets even when they conflict with immediate British interests. That will often be a very tough argument to make but there will be many other times when UK workers - not least in the financial services sector - benefit from our free access to other markets.
The bigger message we need to get across - at a time when Barack Obama is making protectionist noises - is that a retreat from free trade is the surest way to turn today's recession into tomorrow's depression. Some Tory talk of buying locally is close to a form of economic isolationism.
Tim Montgomerie
"Legal adviser",
For a strike to be legal, surely it has to be "official" and voted for by the union membership at large - and I suggest that there has been no ballot in this case.
Posted by: Super Blue | January 31, 2009 at 22:12
Tim, I am a strong Tory always have been and always will be BUT I completely disagree with your post. We should support the strikers on this issue. I cannot ever envisage a situation were British workers will be taking the jobs of foreigners in their own country. The EU has been a disaster for British workers. We just cannot carry on as a country, economically, when the whole of Europe is in theory entitled to come and work here. Along with generous working benefits we are in a nightmare. We have between 5-7 million British people currently out of work and claiming benefit yet the number of foreigners in work is growing, how can this be justified? It is no longer the case that there are jobs out there that Brits won't do. I have been unemployed for more than a year I desperately want to become a nurse and have the right qualifications for a diploma course at university but being a mature student I have to show experience of working in healthcare. I have applied for many many low paid healthcare assistant jobs in hospitals care homes etc but have not got the jobs. When I go for interviews the places are full of foreigners doing the non skilled jobs I want to do. I would never vote for a far right party but the Tories ahve to get a grip on this issue and fast. No other country would put upi with the situation we have got at the moment. The likes of the oil strikers are the very people the Tories need to vote for them and the people who would've voted for Thatcher.
Posted by: Carol-Ann | January 31, 2009 at 23:36
Ed
It will be interesting to see the result of your poll. Seems like DC and you are some way behind the curve on this one.
The political future divide is between nationalism and internationalism. Tories have always been the nationalist party (except 1950 - 1975).
Posted by: Opinicus | February 01, 2009 at 01:19
The political future divide is between nationalism and internationalism. Tories have always been the nationalist party (except 1950 - 1975).
And we all know who the Internationalist parties draw their (warped) inspiration from, Karl Mark. Even China know better than to dilute its nationalism.
Let's stop cooperating with the Pinko's and furthering the ambitions of the commie's.
Posted by: The Bishop swine | February 01, 2009 at 09:21
Worst comment on this thread David 1. British industry is not generally inefficient and if we followed your half witted advice the country would be bankrupt in a short period of time.For once stop thinking solely about yourself.
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | February 01, 2009 at 20:54
Malcolm isn't the country already bankrupt at least technically. In short it now need to borrow money to stay afloat. If I was in the position of owing more than a year's wages (as well as a mortgage) then I suspect I would be winding up my business interests shortly.
Posted by: Dorian Pride | February 01, 2009 at 21:32
"British jobs for Italian workers today but there'll be Italian jobs for British workers tomorrow"
I do follow your point but who wants to go to Italy? its a direful place. Full of..well Italians. I don't imagine for one moment that our Latin friends and later day turn coat allies would appreciate us towing a ship to their land to house ill paid workers.
Worse they are an irritating bunch who proved how they really feel about England the other day. Most English people want to live and work in England after all its a demi-paradise. So sadly its jobs in England we want and S*d Italy for the socialist hell hole it will always be.
Posted by: The Bishop swine | February 02, 2009 at 08:33
"British jobs for Italian workers today but there'll be Italian jobs for British workers tomorrow"
I do follow your point but who wants to go to Italy? its a direful place. Full of..well Italians. I don't imagine for one moment that our Latin friends and later day turn coat allies would appreciate us towing a ship to their land to house ill paid workers.
Worse they are an irritating bunch who proved how they really feel about England the other day. Most English people want to live and work in England after all its a demi-paradise. So sadly its jobs in England we want and S*d Italy for the socialist hell hole it will always be.
Posted by: The Bishop swine | February 02, 2009 at 09:15
"The only foreign workers (and that includes EU workers) who should be allowed into Britain are the ones who are doing a job for which no suitable Brit is available."
Cheap and reliable Italians ARE more suitable than a bunch of bolshy British trades unionists.
That's presumably why they were hired in the first place.
Posted by: Wolfenstein | February 02, 2009 at 14:14