Beyond the traffic disruption - Saltend industrial dispute

LOCAL COMMUTERS AND MOTORISTS EXPERIENCED massive disruption on the roads leading to Saltend yesterday between 6am and 9am. Traffic was reduced to a crawl as massive tailbacks clogged up the roads through Hedon and Preston.

The disruption was caused by the ongoing industrial dispute at the Vivergo Fuels site at the Saltend industrial complex. Hull Road leading to Saltend Lane was closed by police as protesters cars were parked on the roadside. Some traffic problems may be experienced for the rest of the week, but major traffic disruption could result next Monday 28th March when the dispute is expected to escalate.

The industrial dispute behind the traffic problems arose on March 11th when Vivergo Fuels, who are constructing a £200 million pound bio-fuel plant at Saltend, terminated a contract with Redhall Engineering Solutions Ltd for falling behind on its contractual obligations. Redhall in turn issued a notice to approximately 430 workers stating that as from Monday 14 March 2011 they would no longer be employed by them and should turn up for work to be transferred to either Vivergo Fuels Ltd or any contractor that is given the contract. When the workers turned up for work on the 14th March, Vivergo Fuels through its agents denied any liability to employ the staff. The main union involved, the GMB have said that the workforce are effectively "locked out".

Vivergo Fuels is a consortium company made up from a partnership of BP, DuPont and British Sugar. Vivergo Fuels manage the project via another company Aker Process part of the Jacob's Engineering Group. The workforce are employed by a range of contractors in accordance with an industry wide agreement with the trade unions, but the range of companies and agencies involved means that 'employer - contractor - employee' formal legal relationships are far from clear.

Redhall have said said the workforce employed on the site have been transferred under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) regulations to Vivergo Fuels. They claim that £14 million of costs on the contract are still unpaid and have referred the matter to their legal representatives.

The GMB meanwhile has highlighted the case of the workers who have been left in limbo from all this:

"This leaves the workers in a impossible situation in that they have uncertainty of employment and are not receiving wages from 14 March 2011. Workers from the other contractors have been sent home on full pay."

The dispute is expected to escalate next week as union members from across the country will hold demonstrations in support of their Saltend members.