THE TELEGRAPH: Hundreds of factory workers protested outside one of the country's largest oil refineries against the use of foreign workers on a multi million pound construction project.
Humberside Police said around 800 people took part in the demonstration outside the giant Lindsey Oil Refinery at North Killingholme, Lincs.
The actions of the workers could spark more protests around the country as the jobless total rises towards two million during the economic downturn and anger mounts against the Government.
Some protesters carried placards repeating Gordon Brown's slogan 'British jobs for British workers'.
Derek Simpson, joint leader of Unite, called for urgent meetings with the Government and employers to discuss the "exclusion" of UK workers from some of Britain's major engineering and construction projects.
"We have a growing problem in the engineering and construction industry where UK workers are being excluded from important projects.
The Government must take urgent action to deal with this situation as tensions are reaching boiling point. >>> By Nick Britten | Friday, January, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: Wildcat Strikes Over Foreign Workers Spread Across Britain
Wildcat strikes spread to oil refineries across Britain this morning as workers walked out in sympathy with industrial action taken against the arrival of hundreds of foreign contractors.
Around 700 staff walked out of the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland and 400 more staged an unofficial strike at a refinery in Wilton, Teesside as workers lent their support to a three-day strike at the Lindsey oil refinery in North Lincolnshire.
Staff at the refinery in North Killingholme began their wildcat strike on Wednesday in protest at the arrival of 200 Italian and Portuguese staff who were awarded a large construction contract.
There were also signs of the protest spreading to Wales this morning, police were called to Aberthaw power station near Barry after a protest was staged there.
Hundreds of angry protesters are calling on the government to intervene to guarantee jobs for British workers. One of the men on the picket line outside the Lindsey refinery told BBC television this morning that local families were struggling to feed their families while work was given to European workers. >>> Nico Hines and Christine Buckley, Industrial Editor | Friday, January 30, 2009
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