AN MSP has called for an investigation into claims workers on the Queensferry Cressing have been paid below industry rates and are working amid health and safety breaches.
Lothian Labour MSP Neil Findlay has called for an "urgent independent pay audit of the workers engaged on the project", raising concerns about a Portugese sub-contractor and also pay rates for tradesmen it is claimed are £4 an hour below industry minimum.
He is to meet with Scottish Economy Secretary Keith Brown along with officials from construction union UCATT on Thursday and a Scottish Government spokesman said the audit would be one of the issues discussed at the meeting.
Read more: Scottish budget 'should close economic growth gap with UK'
The Scottish Government said it has received assurances over pay rates from the lead contractor, the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors, which said it has received written assurances over the treatment of workers from management at Sosia.
It is the latest problem to hit the new £1.4bn bridge, after previous allegations of workers breaching immigration rules, and tradesmen walking off the job last year over pay and conditions.
Mr Findlay raised concerns in a motion to the Scottish Parliament over "reports regarding the treatment of workers employed on the Forth Replacement Crossing project by the Portuguese subcontractor, Sosia Ltd".
He said construction industry union UCATT has identified people being paid "well below recognised industry rates", including joiners receiving £7.67 an hour and labourers receiving £6.32 against Construction Joint Industry Council (CIJC) minimum hourly rates of £11.61 and £8.73 for joiners and labourers.
He said: "I will be meeting with Keith Brown and representatives of UCATT who have direct first-hand experience of working with tradesmen and contractors on site who have suffered a list of issues that we want the minister to address, issues that have been raised time and again.
Read more: Scottish budget 'should close economic growth gap with UK'
"It would be completely disgraceful if workers were being ripped off on this flagship Scottish government project.
"The SNP government should set up an independent audit of pay immediately - it has completely failed to strengthen the rules around public contracts to stop workers being ripped off."
Steve Dillon, regional Secretary for UCATT Scotland, said: “We welcome Neil Findlay’s motion and now call on the Scottish Government to audit this listing project before it starts sinking under a tide of infamy.”
UCATT claims that the alleged immigration raid on the Queensferry Crossing last month, when seven Indian men employed at the new Forth crossing construction site were arrested amid claims they were working illegally, is just one example of wider workplace abuses there.
A Scottish Government spokesman: "It is for our contractor Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) to manage matters relating to its workforce and sub-contractors, however Transport Scotland takes any allegations with regard to health and safety practices and employment conditions very seriously.
"Transport Scotland have been provided with assurances from the contractor, FCBC, that contractual agreements are in place to pay local rates and that all site workers are safety trained and certified appropriately.
"Economy Secretary Keith Brown will meet with Mr Findlay to discuss the issues he has raised on Thursday.
Read more: Scottish budget 'should close economic growth gap with UK'
"Transport Scotland will continue to work with our contractors to ensure that all obligations over workers’ rights, health and safety and pay are being met on the Forth Replacement Crossing project.”
FCBC is a consortium of Hochtief from Germany, American Bridge from Pittsburgh, USA, Dragados from Spain and Morrison Construction from Scotland
A spokesman for FCBC said it has received written assurances that Sosia "is paying its hourly employees in line with CIJC payment rates and is, therefore, meeting the obligations set out in its contract with FCBC relating to the pay and conditions of its employees".
On average over the past year 1,242 people have been directly employed on the project.
There are currently 25 Sosia personnel on-site working on the road deck of the southern approach viaduct where they are involved in concrete reinforcement installation and concrete finishing.
Sosia could not be contacted last night.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel