electricians strike

Electricians stage second strike Action is focused on high-profile projects like the Dome Electricians across the country are staging a second day of action over pay. The action has been led by workers on prestigious projects such as the Millennium Dome, the Royal Opera House and the Jubilee Line extension (JLE), and similar construction sites across the UK. The BBC's Stephen Evans: "The strikes signal a militant mood" The action comes just a week after thousands of electricians downed tools in their first 24-hour stoppage last Tuesday. The strikers are angry at their own union, the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union, which is currently negotiating the annual national pay award for its 40,000 members. Strikers say the union has made too many concessions during negotiations. Workers want to "use their muscle" while they have it They are also furious at union statements that electricians on the JLE, the underground line which links central London to the Dome, are earning £1,800 a week. One strike leader said most electricians earned about £1,000 less than that, and the union was trying to discredit the activists by claiming such a figure. On Wednesday, the strikers also angrily denied claims that there have been further incidents of sabotage on the JLE. Police were called to the project last year to investigate incidents, including the cutting of wires. The Jubilee Line Extension is already behind schedule However, both the strikers and JLE managers said on Wednesday that they had no knowledge of any further incidents. The AEEG's general secretary, Sir Ken Jackson, criticised the strike action as "unnecessary". He said discussions with employers had not been finalised, and that he believed an "excellent agreement" on pay would soon be reached. Strike organiser Tony Miller told the BBC the strikers had been reluctant to take action, but felt that they had to be heard. "Let's face it, while we've got a bit of muscle we've got to use it," he said.

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