Workers across Britain began strikes yesterday in support of employees at an oil refinery who walked out last week. At issue are labor laws permitting workers within the European Union to move between counties for work. In particular, the oil refinery at the center of the dispute decided to fill positions for an expansion with workers brought in from Italy and Portugal. The resulting nationalist backlash was furthered by current U.K. unemployment and layoff figures, and although the strikes are unofficial, more work stoppages today indicate the dispute is far from over. Many union officials maintain that the issue is not about racism; rather, it's about foreign labor receiving opportunities at British sites at the expense of British workers.
See "British workers strike as economic unease spreads", Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2009