Lead story

by Caroline Colebrook

TOTAL STRIKERS are standing firm with support spreading across the country. Thousands of other power workers have walked out in sympathy in a wave of solidarity that has forced the employer back to the negotiating table.

But the strike and lockout at the Total oil refinery in Lincolnshire is part of a much wider struggle that will last for many years, crossing international boundaries and which could sweep away Britain’s Tory anti-union laws, which are already being defied by solidarity strikes..

Editorials

THOUSANDS of construction workers from all around Britain are taking strike action this week in support of the sacked workers at the Lindsey Oil refinery in Lincolnshire. The anger is mounting after the employer Total last Friday sacked 900 workers on unofficial strike after the company reneged on a deal forged after strike action in February this year. The February strike was a protest against imported contract workers being given jobs that local workers were barred from applying for. Last week’s strike was set off when a group of local workers were made redundant while other contractors on the site were recruiting. The redundant workers – all trade union activists – were barred from applying for these jobs.

IN THE EARLY 1950s Iran had a popular democratically elected prime minister called Muhammad Mossadeq who carried out his election pledge and nationalised the country’s lucrative oil fields – previously owned by Britain.

History seems to be repeating itself; Ahmedinajad is being demonised for his resistance to US imperialism. Elections are being denounced as rigged with no evidence; anti-government riots are being fanned by the West; violence is reported via rumour and internet chat sites like twitter and cannot be checked; the scenes broadcast could be from anywhere. And Mousavi is certainly not the first disappointed election candidate who thought he had victory in the bag but did not. He had plenty of support in the urban, westernised areas but not in the rural localities where most of the population live. Ahmedinajad is no progressive but he does have majority support and those who pretend to be democratic must respect that.

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