Last updated at 14:56, Thursday, 25 June 2009

SELLAFIELD has been hit by another wildcat walkout.

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Only 200 of the 900 contractors have been involved in the latest strike, which started on Wednesday afternoon and continued into Thursday morning, and it is believed the men downed tools against the advice of their own shop stewards.

Forty eight hours earlier, all the Sellafield contractors took unofficial industrial action in support of 650 Lindsey sacked oil refinery workers.

They returned to normal working on Wednesday morning and it came as a surprise when a hundred of the contractors working one the construction site's biggest projects - a new plutonium storing plant known as SPRS - suddenly took their own action later in the day.

It came as a shock and a disappointment to nuclear site bosses who are already known to have become increasingly frustrated and concerned over wildcat strikes and their effects on construction projects.

Monday's mass walkout lasted 24 hours but it was the third unofficial stoppage in recent months.

Sellafield Ltd confirmed that a number of contractors have this morning withdrawn their labour.

A statement read: "The 900 who walked out on Monday (June 22), in support of the dispute at Lindsey Oil Refinery did return on Wednesday as planned, but around 100 withdrew their labour again later that day and have been joined by around another 100 this morning.

"The action that is currently taking place is again in support of the dispute at Lindsey but, unlike Monday’s action, is against the advice of the contractor’s own shop stewards committee and full time officials.

"Sellafield Ltd is continuing dialogue with the sub-contracting companies for which these individuals work and is disappointed at the action being taken. We would urge them to return as soon as possible.

"Safety and security on site have not been affected, but Sellafield Ltd is applying the strong principles of disciplined professionalism and continuous improvement across its sites and action such as this runs the risk of undermining the site’s achievements."

First published at 12:25, Thursday, 25 June 2009
Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk