A UNION involved in a pay dispute at Fawley refinery has condemned the "outrageous" decision to suspend one of its reps.
Unite says the rep was suspended by Altrad Services after 50 of his colleagues - who are not part of the dispute - refused to cross a picket line during a strike earlier this month.
Unite claims he was falsely accused of initiating secondary industrial action and potentially putting the refinery and its staff at risk.
According to the union, workers voted not to cross the picket line after it was established that safety critical staff would be on site.
Branding the suspension as "outrageous", Unite's general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Altrad is clearly rattled by the strength of the support across the workforce for this action for fair pay.
“Altrad should be in no doubt that this action will be met with Unite’s full force. It should be reversed immediately.”
READ MORE: Around 100 workers at Fawley refinery set to strike over pay
Fawley workers employed by Altrad, Trant Engineering, and Veolia Services have taken strike action over a 2.5 per cent pay offer. Around 100 employees - a third of the contractors on the site - are involved in the dispute.
The strikes began on April 8 but have been suspended to allow for renewed negotiations.
An ExxonMobil spokesperson declined to discuss the claims made by Unite, referring enquiries to Altrad. The company has not responded to a request for comment.
Plans to take industrial action were announced in February.
Speaking at the time Ms Graham said: "The employers need to take back this insulting pay offer, which is actually a cut, and think again.
"Our members have mounting bills to pay like everyone else, and with runaway inflation there is no way we will accept a derisory 2.5 per cent for this workforce."
A spokesperson for ExxonMobil, which owns the refinery, added: "This matter relates to ongoing pay negotiations between members of the Unite and their respective employers, which provide third-party contracting services to our operation at Fawley."
Unite says ExxonMobil made a profit of £6.75 billion last year, its highest since 2017.
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.
Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.
You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Don't take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself.
Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents
Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article