British Jobs row Follow

Nationalism is always a dead end for the working class movement, argues Martin Smith, after the wildcat strikes that demanded "British jobs for British workers"

Francesco and Gianluca, like their 98 Italian colleagues housed on a barge at Grimsby Fish Docks, had arrived in late January on a four-month contract to work at the French oil giant, Total, at Lindsey oil refinery in Immingham.

There are 267 different firms employed at Lindsey oil refinery alone. Is European law keeping bosses in line with national agreements on pay and conditions? Robert Jackson reports

Unite union joint general secretary Tony Woodley, PCS union general secretary Mark Serwotka and Labour MP John McDonnell are some of the latest people to sign up to a statement calling for unity in the fight for jobs.

Some in the leadership of the union movement seem determined to run the fight against the recession into a dead end.

Workers protesting at the Lindsey Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire returned to work on Monday of this week after management promised an additional 102 jobs would be made available to "British" workers.

The walkouts at Lindsey Oil Refinery have set a number of precedents – both good and bad.

Millions of working people across Britain are fearful and angry at the mounting economic crisis. Manu­fac­turing industry is now shedding jobs at a rate of 30,000 a month.

The anger against the growing impact of the economic crisis broke out last week in Britain.

Companies say they use subcontracting firms to carry out specific parts of a project to try and reduce costs. This is opposed to direct labour – workers being employed directly by the main contractor.