London IWW blows lid off H&S problems at Olympics

Icon_article Published: June 24, 2009 10:14 by londonwobs |

Tagged as: 2012 olympics workers_struggles
Neighbourhoods: east_end stratford
Published by group: Group

IWW construction workers on the Olympic construction site have produced a damning report on the state of the worksite. The report argues for greater worker control of unions and a militant rank-and-file approach.

Excerpt from the summary of the report:

This report documents and critically analyses the working conditions of construction workers on the Stratford City development site of the 2012 Olympic Games. We base our findings entirely on the accounts of anonymous IWW and non-IWW construction workers employed there.

The report documents widespread mismanagement and a lack of resources devoted to ensuring that health and safety standards are maintained. Police intimidation of workers and harassment of union activists is also documented.

Report cover page

We argue that the underlying problems experienced by the workers are based in the domination of the worksite by management and the lack of rank-andfile control of the recognised union. We propose that workers organise collectively to defend and promote their economic interests as workers, against the interests of the employers which are fundamentally irreconcilable with them.

Additionally, our evidence demonstrated that practices of ‘partnership' are not sufficient to ensure that workers' health and safety is upheld.