Provocative but legal - Lindsey

[Iceni]

If the strike is unofficial why is Total talking to the unions ?

All those on unofficial strike should have been sacked days ago. Exhume Maggie now - the UK needs a PM with sphericals.

John

 

[Dog]

The government out and out supports cheap foreign labour.

So it stands to reason that it would be best if Mendlesome and Gorgon be replaced by less expensive foreign workers.

[velcorin]

Whatever the rights or wrongs of the protest I find it incredible that Total was so insensitive to public opinion that they didn't insert clauses into the original contract to prevent this abuse occurring. Maybe not a surprise as French companies are amazing insentive to public opinion compared to German, British or Japanese companies, up there alongside the Chinese!. I'll give you 1 second to guess what the French unions' response would be if ALL the jobs on a local contract went to foreigners, but the senior management either didn't understand, or didn't care. Either way they were bang out of order. 

I've never been a member of a union, I'm the post miner's strike generation, unions are an anthema to me, but thank dog someone stood up to Total.

[woolybanana]

TOTAL would never have tried to used imported labour in France or they would have been lynched.

[velcorin]

Wooly takes 2 minutes, but get's it first time.[:D]

The right to free movement of labour is one of the founding principles of the EU, and one from which a good number of people on this site benefitted. However, if employers like Total don't consider their actions, then they will bring the EU into disrepute. And, I for one wholeheartedly back what the EU stands for, even if the rightwing, rabidly anti-EU UK media doesn't. I stick to the German or French media[:)]

 

[Clair]

As I understand it (and I might have got the wrong end of the stick), Total are adhering to the letter of the EU agreements by paying their foreign workers the minimum wage in force on the UK, but that is not the rates negotiated by the unions for British workers, which are higher.

As far as Total are concerned, the native workers have priced themselves out of a job.

[velcorin]

You are correct Clair, that is the arguement they have used, legally there is nothing wrong with what they have done. However, if you take it to it's illogical conclusion why not use Romanian workers, or Bulgarians, the EU just becomes a marketplace for the lowest waged group. The validity of Total's whining is not the point IMO, the issue is their total (pun intended) lack of joined up thinking in the awarding of the contract.

Our contracts stipulate that we have the right to vet all workers employed by contractors, Total's will be the same. Thus Total have agreed that a totally foreign work force is acceptable to them. What corporate message does that send out? I work for a major German multinational in France, and worked for major British multinational in Spain, UK and US. One of the first considerations in ANY decision is the public image of the company, so how on earth did Total get themselves into this position? Sometimes you get it wrong, but getting it this wrong is absurd

Mr Total: There's a global recession, local people losing their jobs-----I know let's recruit only foreigner workers

Mr Union Man: Err, excuse me, can't some of our lads at least apply?

Mr Total: No, go away you horrid little oik.

Mr Union Man:  OK, ALL OUT LADS.

[Scooby]

Maybe if the companies had to pick up the tab for family credits etc they would not be so enthusiastic in their drive to recruit cheap labour.