01.02.2016
Ainscough strike goes ahead
The first one day strike at UK crane rental company Ainscough has begun with pickets outside of a number of the company’s depots.
The company has said that it would prefer not to comment and that it is keeping in full contact with its employees and customers. A spokesman did add: “We absolutely are not replacing full time crane operators with zero hours contracts. What we have done is set up a small temporary labour pool of fully qualified personnel to assist in peak periods”
We have no idea how widespread the action is, or what effect it might have had on operations today. Groups began assembling outside some depots over the weekend, when an overtime ban was due to have come into force and seem fairly widespread today.
It should also be remembered though that not all Ainscough crane operators belong to the Unite union, and are not on strike, while some operators may have voted against the strike and chose to work today.
A second one day stoppage is planned for next Monday.
Crane lads
Ho dear
Ordinary Bloke
Big Jib, i may be reading your comment the wrong way, could you please tell me what in a description what a PLEB means ?
I take it your not educated as you would not refer to your fellow workers as working in the crane hire industry YOU are not able to BULLY people any more!!!!!!!!!!
I would happily meet with you, and BURST your bubble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ordinary Bloke
Bang on Heavylifting!
So… Why has the British Crane Hire Industry, arrived at a situation where Company Owners/Directors/Managers feel that investment in equipment and resources does not equal fair capital return and Crane Operators and associated lifting industry professionals feel so undervalued regarding pay and working conditions to their counterparts in the construction/rail/petrochemical industries. The reasons are complicated and quite often historical in nature. Crane Hire Company’s, are very competitive, and with lax UK road regulations regarding mobile cranes (no MOT, red diesel, axle loadings of 15t/16t, no tachograph or drivers hours) has allowed company’s to push both machine and operator to their limits. Operators because of the relatively low hourly rate have always had the long hours culture to earn a decent living, and to some extent, this situation has suited both sides.
The basic crux of the matter is that the UK has too many cranes, and since the late 1970's and the loss of heavy industries such as shipbuilding, steel and coal, and with limited road regulations has allowed company’s to tramp machines up and down the country in the name of competitiveness, 'and we all know a few company names who do the following', maintain very dubious maintenance and quality standards that keep rates at rock bottom for the company’s that try and raise the standards of the industry.
Crane hire company’s in the States and Europe have much higher rates for cranes, yet have far more regulations regarding road movements. Would the introduction of a maximum axle load of 12t, MOT, six week inspections, white diesel, tachograph and drivers hours, make for a level playing field and give company’s the chance to get a return on investment by removing the company’s that practice dubious standards, that keep rates so low in the UK, this might just also raise pay conditions for operators, just a thought.
lee barnes
Gents stop hiding your names if you have a point and you are one of us drivers have a say but names help as all I can read about is playground talk. If your in the strike then all thumbs up for tomorrow's crane drivers to fair pay!!!!!
lee barnes
Gents stop hiding your names if you have a point and you are one of us drivers have a say but names help as all I can read about is playground talk. If your in the strike then all thumbs up for tomorrow's crane drivers to fair pay!!!!!
Old Sweat Old Sweat
Sad day,been with cranes for 25 years both in and out of the crane,as I see it crane operators have always made up their money with working obscene excess hours as their basic rate is so low.It's not uncommon for operators to work two years for every year of a normal construction worker.16 hour shifts for 7 days a week is the norm for a lot of the blokes !!
The people that say they don't work in a manually demanding job have obviously never spent 3 to 4 hours fighting their way in London on a Saturday night,rig and then erect a 70m luffer in the pouring rain or snow in the early hours and then do a 12 hour shift on the Saturday and Sunday only to knock the rig off on a Sunday night and then go on to the next job ready for Monday morning !!
I have nothing but admiration for these blokes,obviously the Ainscough hierarchy don't value their workforce and have brow beaten their workers and caused a stream of good crane people to leave this sinking ship.I for one an glad I left this industry when I did, when I was with this company the Ainscough brothers appreciated the skilled workforce they had.
The shop floor boys sound like they've had enough of the threats and have taken action against the accountants.
Ordinary Bloke
RESPECT & RESPONSIBILITY.
Big Jib
It was all so much easier at Aggreko, where there weren't any pleb operators to stand in the way
Crane lads
Grumpy Yes the is a lot of name calling going on here and the is no need for it. Some people do it to get a reaction you will never stop it. But you have to understand its not all about money yes like all humans I would like more. But the most important is conditions treating people with respect.
Fenster
Well done the yellow and blue team for standing up against management. The top UK crane companies would rather take 50p off the hire rate than stick it on the operators wages.
Crane lads
And while I am at it ainscough do have some great managers and some bad ones. The only way everyone can sort this out is all the drivers/union management and everyone involved stop trying to score points by slagging one an other off and get round the table.
Grumpy
I am totally opposed to zero hours contracts and if this was what your fight was about I would be on your side.
This fight is fuelled by some very unhealthy and dangerous attitudes.
The crane company I worked for could never match Ainscough's pay levels. We were always being reminded about how much less our men were earning.
I am a working class lad who sees both sides most of the time but in this instance I simply believe that this dispute is driven, not by reasonableness but some seriously flawed and gangrenous attitudes. Just look at all the shocking and personal comments are being fired off.
Crane lads
Grumpy you seem very biter why? Are we not allowed a voice or to stand up for our selves? We are trying to make the industry safer or do you agree that everyone should work on zero hrs.
It will all end in tears, just like Hewdwn Stuart did in the early 90,s
Ordinary Bloke
No Grumpy, it's you that has obviously got an issue, about ordinary people only wanting what they deserve.
Believe it or not a lot of people fought and died in two world wars, to give us the freedom which we (even you) enjoy today, Democracy!
Grumpy
This is so sad.
Is this really 2016?
It’s like going back into the 1970s. The anti-management, anti-employer comments that I read are unbelievable. The brattish behaviour and comments of the very loud and deluded lefties remind me of how much of British industry was brought to its feet by militant and uneducated big mouths who became the voice of the suppressed reasonable working man.
If you’re not happy working for business people and if as you appear to do, hate the people who employ you, then why hang around. There’s more to life than money. Happiness come high up on life’s agenda. Why make yourselves miserable? If you’re convinced that business revolves around your sort then go out and raise some money, buy yourself a crane or two and see how difficult it is to balance the books. (I’ve been there, I know.) I have sold against Ainscough, against their national depot network, against their high quality modern fleet, their excellent systems, their high standards and the only thing I could get them on was the stubbornness, uncooperativeness, sometimes rudeness, sometimes what seemed like laziness of their crane operators. Take this attitude with you and try it on your own customers and see how long before you have none.
Maybe the management should dig in and write off 2016 as the year that Ainscough took control of their company. Maybe this time, because they have not capitulated as they have done in the past, they do see a need to break this two yearly cycle.
Giving in will just give more power and credibility to these (what I thought were extinct) dinosaurs.
Slim
Falkirk yard all out and united
Crane lads
Pickets on ALL yards