Mechanical contractors at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria have begun a 24-hour illegal strike in support of a protest against the use of foreign workers at a Lincolnshire oil refinery.
The Sellafield workers have joined up to 1,000 energy workers who last week began an unofficial strike over the decision by Total, owner of the Lindsey Oil Refinery, to give a £200 million contract to an Italian firm, who will bring in hundreds of Italian and Portuguese workers.
Workers at the Heysham nuclear power station in Lancashire are also deciding whether to join the walkouts.
Talks are beginning today between the Unite union, Total and sub-contractors to try to bring about an end to the strikes.
Unions said the refinery’s employees felt “powerless” and that the foreign workers had been brought in as the “cheaper option”.
Derek Simpson, Unite’s joint general secretary, said: “Unite is consulting its lawyers on the potential illegality of some employer's practices in the engineering and construction industries. The union is doing everything in its power to ensure that employers end this immoral, potentially illegal and politically dangerous practice of excluding UK workers from some construction projects.
“The government must act urgently and insist that companies involved in engineering and construction projects give UK workers equal opportunities to build Britain's infrastructure,” he added.
The government has urged workers to end the strikes, saying that UK workers are not being discriminated against. However, business secretary Peter Mandelson, said: “It would be a huge mistake to retreat from a policy where, within the rules, UK companies can operate in Europe and European companies can operate here.”
Total said there would be no direct redundancies as a result of the contract being awarded.