British Steel scaffolders are set to hold a march on Scunthorpe as their fair pay dispute continues.
Unite the Union have tonight confirmed that striking scaffolders working on the British Steel site in Scunthorpe will now hold a march at 7 am on Monday (11 October) as part of their ongoing campaign for fair pay.
More than 60 scaffolders working on the site have been holding continuous action with all-out strikes since Monday in a long-running battle over pay.
The workers employed by Actavo have been fighting to be paid the recognised rate for the job since 2019, Unite says.
Since the strike began Actavo has refused to enter into further negotiations to seek a resolution of the dispute.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Scaffolders at Scunthorpe are determined to defend their national industrial agreements and they have the full support of their union in this fight for fairness.
“Where employers like Actavo undermine workers’ pay rates and refuse to pay the recognised rate for the job, they will face determined opposition from Unite.”
Local support
Workers at British Steel and members of the local community are being encouraged to join the march in support of the striking scaffolders.
Unite regional officer Richard Bedford said: “The march on Monday will demonstrate the commitment and unity of the scaffolders who are determined to secure the correct rate of pay for the job.
“The strike is already causing considerable disruption on the British Steel site, In order to resolve the strike then Actavo needs to return to the negotiating table and agree the correct rate of pay for our members.”
The dispute
As previously reported the dispute began in 2019 when the workers first attempted to get their pay rates paid in line with the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI). By being paid in line with the NAECI agreement the scaffolders would see a 10-15 per cent pay rise.
Significant strike action occurred earlier this year when the workers were employed by the previous contractor Brand Energy. Since taking over the contract the workers feel that Actavo has failed to resolve the pay issue.
The scaffolders maintain over 500 scaffolding structures at the British Steel site.