MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Naval Base Protest.

A team from the UK who had come to prepare and initiate procedures for the Infrastructure Services Provider left Gibraltar last week.

They came to plan Works Area Packages which are intended to be segmented into sections, and broken up for the tenders ready for the bidders. This once again shows the hidden agenda held by the MoD by not informing or consulting with the Trade Unions in another _Done Deal_.

In response, a substantial number of workers walked out and demonstrated at the dockyard entrance from 4pm today, with banners and placards. They stood for two hours in the pouring rain, accompanied by a heavy police presence.

After receiving an assurance from Union officials that they would be permitted to leave peacefully, the UK officials sped off to catch their flight home.

It seems the workers are caught between a rock and the hard face of 'New Labour', more interested in cost cutting than workers, their traditional supporters, interests.

In an announcement earlier the Commander of British Forces, Allan Adair stated that _A decision has been made and we are committed to do it_. he also added that "Gibraltar is very important to us". Judging from some of the slogans, the reverse is not the view of today's demonstrators.

At his press conference Adair was under the supervision of Susan Scholefield, a top cabinet office official, who joined the Ministry of Defence in 1981 and was head of Head of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat. The decision to dump the Gibraltar work force is seen to be a political one from the top. Many Gibraltarians suspect this is payback for rejecting Blair's 'joint sovereignty plan, despite unconvincing denials by a Foreign Office official.

Meanwhile, a team of officials from Gibraltar has travelled to Madrid to discuss the problems of mobile phone and telephone access currently blocked by the Spanish Government.

Sir Francis Richards, the Governor, by co-incidence is also away from Gibraltar for health reasons. In the past the main role of the Governor has been as a focus of discontent with British Government policy, so his timing displays good intelligence.

By gibnews.net