Via the Scottish Unemployed

Workers' Network FB page:

ROSYTH WORKERS OCCUPY AGAINST BLACKLIST!

Reports are just coming in of the Unite members employed by Babcock at the Royal Navy shipyard at Rosyth, Firth of Forth, occupying their site cabins in an occupation protest against blacklisting. If confirmed, this action will be one in an escalating campaign of unofficial actions at a shipyard assembly and fitting-out facility where presently the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers are being completed.

This action is in the defence industry sector is in stark contrast with the relative passivity and cap-in-hand attitude of workers hoping for work security from the highly uncertain Trident and Class 26 frigate programmes.

Also, the defiance of the Rosyth workers flies in the face of completion deadline bullying, spurious bonus incentives and a wholesale attempt to deskill sections of the workforce through 'flexibility' scams in contravention of national agreements.

This dispute- if allowed to continue, could also provide a focus on the urgent need for defence sector workers to be demanding sustainable employment in a new generation of renewable energy technologies to which the shipbuilding and aerospace industries are ideally suited with skills and manufacturing capacity already in place. Watch this space for updates and details for solidarity messages address etc.

Update

Re Rosyth site cabin occupations: CONFIRMED and with plans to close entire site with pickets tomorrow am. No ballot and unofficial action in direct challenge to 2016 Trade Union Act. Total site workforce involved circa 3500.