Unions vow to step up action over ‘worker exploitation’ on major Deeside construction project

Unions have said today they will step up their campaign to end the alleged exploitation of construction workers on a major project in Deeside.

Members of Unite and GMB are angry that French company CNIM, the main contractor on the £800 million Parc Adfer waste to energy facility on Deeside Industrial Estate is refusing to comply with relevant industrial agreement resulting in workers being left massively out of pocket.

The two unions have jointly agreed to increase their campaign with workers from across the UK planning to demonstrate at the site in the New Year.

CNIM has declined to allow unions access to the site and has refused to ensure that workers are paid via the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) on their project.

Unions claim workers on the project could be paid rates 63.5 per cent below NAECI rates.

Union members are being encouraged to write to their MP and members of the Welsh Assembly to highlight CNIM’s exploitative practices.

The project is being undertaken by the North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Partnership (NWRWTP) which comprises five Welsh councils (Flintshire, Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire).

NWRWTP awarded Wheelabrator Technologies Inc (WTI) a US based company the contract to build and operate the facility.

A spokesperson for NWRWTP said last month comments made by the Trade Union representatives are “a distortion and are not helpful in developing respectful relations,” and have advised union members not to take part in unofficial protests near to the Parc Adfer site which “both cause disruption to local businesses and are a danger to road safety.”

Unions say they are highly disappointed that Colin Everett the chief executive of Flintshire County Council who leads on the Treatment Partnership has failed to step in and ensure that exploitative practices are ended, the correct rates are paid and unions are given access to the site.

The unions are seeking last ditch talks with CNIM, prior to Christmas, to end the exploitation.

Unite national officer for construction Bernard McAulay said:

“We will not stand idly by and allow construction workers to be exploited.

“It is reprehensible that the client, which comprises five local councils is prepared to allow workers to be exploited on their project.

“If the councils and CNIM don’t take action then we are putting them on notice that concerned workers will be stepping up their protests early next year.”

GMB National Officer Phil Whitehurst said:

“CNIM and the Flintshire conglomerate of local authorities are hiding behind minimum standard legislation in the Parc Adfer construction process.

“This is not only a betrayal of the highly skilled local and national labour pool – it ensures that the lowest bidder wins the contract at the tendering stage, no matter what their past record is with regards to safety and terms and conditions offered to the prospective workforce.

“This ultimately encourages spurious employment methods such as zero hours contracts, under the guise of bogus self-employment, and agency labour.

“This race to the bottom is unacceptable and CNIM and its paymasters have firmly got the cross hairs of civil unrest firmly trained on them.”

Two protests have already taken at the site in recent months, they brought early morning traffic on the industrial estate to a standstill and closed Flintshire Bridge, the latest protest was November 7.

A spokesperson for CNIM said:

“CNIM totally rejects the comments made by UNITE and GMB about its work in the UK. The company has followed good practice in the UK for more than 20 years.

With respect to the allegations made by the unions regarding NAECI. NAECI is an optional agreement. CNIM has been clear that it complies fully with UK law and observes all relevant UK legislation.”

It is simply wrong that CNIM has failed to allow unions access to the site: a meeting was planned for 11 October but postponed due to disruption caused by the protests. We offered 7 November as an alternative, which was declined.”

CNIM have met and engaged with the unions; they attended the last jobs fair, and will be invited to the next one in 2018.”