New protest over jobs for foreign workers
A FRESH row over foreign labour has erupted after it emerged that British workers were overlooked for jobs building a power plant.
Instead, hundreds of workers have been brought in from Southern and Eastern Europe and put up in a floating hotel.
Now a protest has been organised for Wednesday at the Isle of Grain construction site in Kent.
Tory MP Philip Davies said last night: “This makes a mockery of Gordon Brown’s slogan of ‘British jobs for British workers’. It is totally outrageous.
“The Government should be able to protect the rights of the British workforce but is completely powerless to do so.
“This is also happening at a time when people are struggling to provide for their families.”
The scandal comes days after the ending of a dispute over the use of foreign labour at the Lindsey oil refinery near Grimsby.
This makes a mockery of Gordon Brown’s slogan of ‘British jobs for British workers’.
The new power station is being built on the site of the Grain plant, operated by power company E.On.
It is near Kingsnorth power station, scene of environmental demonstrations last year.
The Unite union called for Wednesday’s demonstration at the Kent site after discovering that French engineering firm Alstom has employed two Polish sub-contractors, Remak and ZRE, who have not hired British workers.
Alstom, the main contractor for the project to build a gas-fired power station, insists it has given British firms and workers an opportunity to bid for the contracts and employ mainly British people.
But unions dispute this.
A Unite spokesman said yesterday: “We know of at least two sub-contractors who are not allowing UK workers to apply for jobs at Grain power station.
“We are not saying that foreign workers are taking all the jobs but there is clear evidence that British-based labour is being blocked from even trying to get work.”
Last night Alstom vigorously denied the claims and said the Polish firms had been contracted to carry out specialist work.
An Alstom spokesman said: “There are 15 sub-contractors working on the construction of the power station and the overwhelming majority are British.
“Only two are non-UK companies and they have committed to actively consider suitably qualified local workers if additional manpower is required.”
He added that the floating hotel would be available to UK and non-UK workers.
