Electricians working on the Crossrail development in London struck on Wednesday 10 January after contractor Balfour Beatty refused to pay industry standard project completion payments.
The electricians, organised by Unite, are working on the Woolwich section of Crossrail. Workers are demanding a four week finishing bonus to be paid when they are made redundant at the end of the job. According to Unite a “finishing bonus is standard practice on comparable major projects. It allows workers to give notice on their lodging without suffering financial loss. All the electricians employed at Woolwich live outside London and have had to arrange temporary accommodation while employed on Crossrail.″
Whilst this is the first official strike on the Crossrail project, various unofficial wildcat strikes have happened in response to poor health and safety, harassment of union activists, and blacklisting concerns.
