An urgent investigation is needed into claims of “exploitation” of European workers on Rosyth’s £6.2 billion warship programme, the area’s new MP has said.
The SNP’s Douglas Chapman has written to defence secretary Michael Fallon following reports that local shipbuilders are losing their jobs and being excluded from employment opportunities.
However, senior sources working at the dockyards disputed claims that Scottish pipefitters and welders were let go at the same time as more Polish and Romanian workers arrived, saying employees from overseas were filling skills gaps, not replacing local tradesmen.
Mr Chapman said: “I am deeply concerned about reports that shipbuilders in Rosyth are losing their jobs and being excluded from future work opportunities.
“I have been equally alarmed to learn that migrant workers are being taken on to work longer hours for less pay.
“These issues need urgent investigation and I am urging the Ministry of Defence to release the relevant sections of the aircraft carrier contract to establish whether there were workers safeguards put into these huge multibillion-pound contracts originally signed off by Gordon Brown.”
Pat Rafferty, Scottish secretary of Unite union, has also called for senior officials to carry out a major probe into the situation at the Fife site.
He added: “It seems there is clear exploitation of migrant workers, to the detriment of indigenous workers who are being denied jobs.”
The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), made up of the Ministry of Defence and engineering companies Babcock, BAE and Thales UK, denied the wages being paid to foreign workers are unlawful.
Jim Moohan, chairman of the shipbuilding and engineering unions in Scotland, said local union conveners had challenged bosses over cheap labour and raised the prospect of European employment rules being broken.
A spokesman for the ACA said the group has gained reassurance from suppliers that they comply with all relevant legislation which requires agency workers’ pay to be at least equivalent to that of comparable permanent employees.
He added: “We will continue to carry out the necessary checks with our suppliers to ensure this is the case and will take the appropriate action to rectify any discrepancies if brought to our attention.
“In terms of the European Working Time Directive, the safety and wellbeing of all our workers is our prime concern.
“Workers are not allowed to exceed 48 hours average per week when measured over the allowed 17-week reference period, as required by law.
“All of our suppliers have assured us that they have systems in place to closely monitor and manage this.”