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DOCKWORKERS launched an 11-day strike yesterday against bosses’ attempts to enforce zero-hours contracts.
Employer SCA Logistics wants to turn the clock back over half a century to the days when dockers turned up for work hoping to be “selected” for a day’s labour.
General union Unite says SCA is replacing permanent employees with agency staff who are called in when needed at short notice.
Agency staff work on zero-hours contracts with no guarantee of any work and are paid less than permanent dockworkers.
Unite regional officer Jane Jeffery said: “The hard-line management of the Swedish-owned SCA Logistics has not moved since the 48-hour strike last month and our members have no choice but to take this 11-day action to bring the management to the negotiating table.
SCA employs 24 dockers at Tilbury in London — all members of Unite.
The strike is the second in the dispute at Tilbury in the last two weeks. A 48-hour stoppage was held at the end of May.
“Unite will strongly resist the very real threat of the workforce at this company becoming 100 per cent employed on zero-hours contracts,” Ms Jeffery said.
“If management is allowed to have its way, we will be turning the clock back 50 years to the bad old days. when you had to rely on the tap on the shoulder to see if you had work for the day in the docks.”
