Picket line halts supply trucks at Bakerloo site

A picket of the Bakerloo Line tunnel project by electricians claiming they are owed thousands in unpaid wages is alleged to have cost London Underground œ50,000 in one morning.

The 15-strong picket turned away lorries from the site at Jubilee Gardens, Waterloo, on Monday.

The organisers said that they would continue the action until they are paid five weeks' wages of around œ1600 per electrician. The sum is allegedly owed by Monitoring Systems Installations from which they were made redundant when it went into voluntary receivership just before Easter (CJ 2 April).

Monitoring Systems Installations was part of Monitoring Systems Group which supplies electronic sensors for the tunnel strengthening project.

But Monitoring Systems Group of Edenbridge, Kent, has said that the action will not make any difference to its operations.

Dave Smith, organiser of the picket and who had worked for Monitoring Systems Installations as an electrician for a year, said that London Underground should pay the wages owed and deduct the money from Monitoring Systems' account.

Speaking from the picket line on Monday morning, Smith told CJ: "We've turned away several wagons this morning including 30 concrete wagons carrying 180 cubic meters of concrete to the site. "One of the engineers on site told us that we've caused around œ50,000 worth of delays so far.

"We don't feel guilty about that, it's the people who owe us the money who should feel guilty. It's been a good day's work so far and this will go on until we're paid."

Smith said that members of the controversial Joint Sites Committee had joined the picket line.

Tony Thompson, managing director of Monitoring Systems Group, confirmed that he had been in contact with London Underground during the morning to discuss the situation.

He said: "It's unfortunate that London Underground is the victim of a situation that it has not created and it's now considering its legal position.

"Before the picket we had already assured the electricians that we're doing everything within our power to get their money for them and that is still the state of play."

Thompson denied that his company might be deemed liable by London Underground for any financial losses due to the picketing. Christiani & Nielsen is joint main contarctor on the project with Herbosch-Kier. A spokeswoman for Christiani said: "The picket line is nothing to do with us and it's not slowing up our work."

London Underground refused to comment.