The workers at MGT Power Plant in Teesside start day five of their spontaneous protest today.

The workers have gone on strike at Tees Reneweable Energy Plant- world’s largest biomass power plant being built on Teesside by MGT- last Tuesday over poor safety conditions. The action was sparked by what was described a “boiler incident”. The plant’s operator has confirmed an incident involving a boiler where a suspended load moved during installation. Nobody was injured in the incident and soon the area was declared safe by the plant operator, however, the workers refused to return to work, with their spokesperson saying on Friday that they felt unsafe.

The protest continued in the last days, causing delays on the A66 and surrounding roads as workers block the Tees Dock Road near the plant. On Monday, the police mounted an operation in order to clear the road, with large numbers of cops and a helicopter present. Today early morning, one worker was arrested.