UCATT refutes claims over access to £212m Dumfries hospital site

The contractor is currently delivering the multi-million pound scheme for NHS Scotland and completion is scheduled for December 2017.

The construction union has staged a series of demonstrations outside the development after claiming union officials tried to gain access to the site. However, UCATT claimed its staff have not been allowed proper access and all communications have been ignored by Laing O’Rourke management.

A spokesperson for the contractor told the BBC: “Laing O’Rourke has the largest directly employed operative workforce within the UK building and engineering industry, and regards positive engagement between our managers and employees as vital to maintaining a safe and productive workplace environment.

“We totally support the role of the trade union movement and the support they can provide to our employees and ourselves.

“In this instance, UCATT has not formally requested access to our Dumfries and Galloway project. We would, of course, be happy to discuss UCATT’s concerns regarding positive engagement.”

However, UCATT regional secretary Steve Dillon has rebuked this claim, stating he believes the company is “merely posturing and seeking to mask their blatant anti-trade union attitude”.

“UCATT is dismayed to hear the inaccurate comments to the media from contractor Laing O’Rourke regarding union access to the new hospital site in Dumfries,” he said.

“Firstly, in terms of the union not having ‘formally’ requesting access, the presence of a Regional Officer on site on two occasions approaching management about accessing workers is a formal approach.

“In addition when Laing O’Rourke talk about a directly employed workforce, this is correct they do employ workers directly, what they omit from informing the media about is the fact that some workers employed directly on the Dumfries hospital site have been employed on three week contracts, not exactly an advert for secure and sustainable employment.

“The company has never offered UCATT any opportunity to highlight the benefits of being a member of the union at this site, and has actively pursued a strategy to prevent the union from speaking to workers.”

Mr Dillon added despite a union officer giving his card to Laing O’Rourke management during the protest, no communication has been received from the contractor.

“If Liang O’Rourke is serious about opening engagement then they have our details and can make contact at any time to open meaningful dialogue,” he said.