Nuclear plants shut by mass strikes over foreign workers

Two nuclear plants were hit by wildcat strikes today as the foreign workers row escalated.

Nine hundred contract workers walked out at Sellafield in Cumbria and Heysham nuclear facility in Lancashire. Management said radioactive waste was safe but ministers were alarmed by disruption at such sensitive sites.

Another 200 employees downed tools at Fiddlers Ferry power station in Widnes, Cheshire, and manual workers did the same for 24 hours at Grangemouth oil refinery and power stations in Longannet and Staythorpe. Unions in Scotland were holding mass meetings with a total of about 2,500 workers.

Despite blizzard conditions, 300 workers gathered outside Total's Lindsey refinery in Lincolnshire where the dispute began when a £200 million construction contract was handed to an Italian firm, IREM, which then imported Italian and Portuguese workers. Gordon Brown today appeared to accept that British workers may have been discriminated against by some firms though he warned that strikes against foreign workers would be "counter-productive".

He said talks had been held with Total and other companies to ensure that they allowed British workers to apply for work on all contracts, as required by EU law. Other companies would make clear they were sticking to the rules.

"When that becomes clear, then people will see that there is to be no discrimination in the future against British workers," the Prime Minister said.

There were signs today that Labour MPs were unhappy with the Government handling of the issue. Ex-minister Peter Hain said it was "gold plating" EU laws and should "stand up for the rights of British workers".

Lord Mandelson denied that contractors were bringing in cheap labour and discriminating against skilled British workers. He said these claims had been "very strongly refuted by the company" and his "initial examination suggests the company are right". The arbitration service Acas is to investigate.

Pressed about the allegations of discrimination on BBC radio, Lord Mandelson said: "Stop feeding this xenophobia." He added that a British firm was originally given the contract at Lindsey but failed to fulfil it.

GMB union boss Paul Kenny said: "Peter Mandelson is in denial about the nature of the problem that has given rise to the dispute. Overseas companies are refusing to employ UK nationals on projects in the UK. That is not right."

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