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Protesters demonstrate outside power station

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 18:03, 21 February 2009

Isle of Grain power station dispute continues

Protestors returned to the EON power station on the Isle of Grain today to demonstrate over the use of foreign labour in the UK.

More than 150 skilled but unemployed workers arrived at the site at 6.30am to take part in the union led picket.

Unite claim that Alstom, the lead contractor of the new gas fired plant being built at the site, is using two sub contractors which are refusing to consider local labour.

But Alstom says it has about 15 sub contractors there with only two being non-UK companies.

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Neil Willoughby, regional officer for Unite, said: "It was a good turn out. We just hope Alstom take note of us and resolve the issue.

"We plan to hold further demonstrations at the Isle of Grain site and at various other locations around the Medway Towns in the near future."

A spokesman for Alstom said: "We do provide British jobs for British workers and we’re proud to do so.

"We’re a company that wants to continue investing in the UK and training and recruiting British workers.

"We do not, nor have we ever, discriminated between UK and non-UK workers.

"Alstom employs around 5,000 people in the UK - working in the power and transport industries - the vast majority of which are UK nationals.

"At Grain, British workers will carry out two-thirds of the work from start to finish."

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