Workers in the North walk out in solidarity with British strikers

Workers at Kilroot power station in the North have walked out in solidarity with striking employees at a plant in England.

The 30 workers at the Co Antrim factory left their posts as part of a protest against the hiring of Italian and Portuguese staff at a Total oil refinery in Lincolnshire.

The Kiloot workers say they have no problem with the hiring of foreign labourers, but believe qualified engineering staff currently on the dole should be hired ahead of qualified non-nationals.

In Britain, strikes have broken out at Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland, Aberthaw power station in Wales and at a steel works near Redcar in north east England in support of the mass walkout in Lincolnshire.