The efforts of union leaders striking over foreign workers at the Lindsey refinery may have paid off after a deal was offered to protesters which proposes giving 50% of the jobs to British workers.

This sets a new precedent and smacks of the sort of protectionism that Britain's membership of the EU is supposed to discourage. The reaction of the union members was completely understandable given the harsh economic conditions in the UK. The concern however is that as a result of this, British companies could face a backlash from other European countries when it comes to awarding them contracts that would allow them to bring over British workers. And what about the thousands of British workers employed in different industries across the EU. Should they be sent home and replaced by nationals of those countries?