Isle of Grain power station: UK workers excluded, EU workers
exploited
13th March 2009
Unite has expressed outrage today (Friday) following
confirmation that an employer which is already excluding UK labour
from working on its contract is also exploiting non UK workers by
paying below the national rate and breaking UK law.
The union has received a copy of a contract for a Polish worker
at the site, subsequently translated, which reveals that the worker
is being paid less than colleagues at the site. Under the national
agreement, the standard rate for an advanced craftsman is £14.00 an
hour but the contract seen by Unite states that the same grade only
receives £10.01 an hour.
Unite is calling for the independent auditor on the Isle of
Grain construction site to conduct an immediate investigation into
the practices of the subcontractors on site. It has given Remak and
Alstom seven days to bring the employment contracts into line with
UK law and the national agreement on pay, otherwise the union will
demand that Remak is removed from the site. The union has vowed to
use all legal avenues at its disposal to ensure there is fairness
on this construction site.
Unite is also demanding that the workers being underpaid receive
all the back pay which is owed to them. The union has also learnt
that the sub-contractor expects its employees to pay for their own
personal protective equipment, which is against UK health and
safety legislation. By law contractors must provide their workers
with protective equipment.
Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of Unite, said: “Remak
has exploited its non-UK workers, excluded UK workers and Alstom
lets the company get away with it. We demand that Remak and Alstom
bring these underpaid workers' contracts into line with UK
legislation and the agreed pay rates. We deplore this attack on
negotiated pay rates, and this discrimination by the company
against the foreign workers.
“We are investigating claims that Remak has refused to consider
any applications for jobs from UK workers. These pay differences
support the view that Remak may be discriminating against UK
workers to save money.
“This is clear evidence that undercutting exists in the industry
despite fierce denials to the contrary. The employers' association
turns a blind eye to the rotten practices in this industry. Our
members in the construction industry have even been blacklisted
when in reality there should be a blacklist for the employers who
break the law, exclude UK workers from applying for work and
underpay their employees.”
Remak has been subcontracted by Alstom, which has been
contracted by E.ON to build the power station.
The Isle of Grain has been a focus of demonstrations by workers
refused access to work at the site. Earlier this year waves of
unofficial action took place across the country over the exclusion
of UK-based labour from UK construction projects. Employers
fiercely denied that any undercutting existed.
Over 600 people have applied for work on the contract but have
not been awarded jobs. Workers refused access will hold a
demonstration outside Chatham job centre in Kent on March 19th. A
demonstration will also take place on March 24th at the power
station.
Unite is calling on the government to insist that companies
applying for contracts on public infrastructure projects sign up to
Corporate Social Responsibility agreements which commit to fair
access for UK labour.
ENDS
For further information contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931315 /
Pauline Doyle on 07976 832861 or the Unite Press Office on 020 7420
8914 / 8938.
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