Workers at Glasgow recycling plant locked out as contract ends

About 150 workers were told Interserve's contract had been terminated

Up to 150 construction and engineering workers at a Glasgow recycling plant have been paid off, with some finding themselves locked out when they turned up for work.

The move came a few weeks after waste specialist Viridor said it was ending infrastructure firm Interserve's building contract for the plant.

Interserve said it would try to offer redeployment where possible.

Viridor said it terminated its contract with Interserve "as a last resort".

Viridor is the main contractor for Glasgow City Council's new Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre in Polmadie.

In a statement, Interserve said: "Last month we were served notice of termination on the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy project, which came into effect today.

"As a result, we will no longer be working on the project, meaning some 150 roles are at risk. We will, where possible, look to redeploy affected employees in other parts of the business."

A spokesman for Viridor said on Thursday: "Viridor has terminated its contract with Interserve as a last resort, in the best interests of the project.

"We are moving quickly to ensure continuity of delivery and are working hard to retain the majority of the existing supply chain."

Virodor has contracts for recycling work with a number of Scottish councils

The Unite union has threatened to take legal action, claiming staff were paid off with just a week's notice.

And the GMB union has said it will lodge a collective appeal and grievance on behalf of its members. It has called for Viridor to transfer the workers to the new sub-contractor.

'Callous treatment'

GMB Scotland senior organiser Tony Dowling said: "This ranks among the most callous treatment of workers I've come across in years - our members have been kept totally in the dark while relations between Interserve and Viridor were collapsing.

"Our members have family commitments and mortgages to take care of and they've arrived for work this morning only to be locked out of the site and then served with the sack by their employer just two weeks before Christmas.

"The behaviour of Interserve is beneath contempt but Viridor should now do the right thing and ensure that the workers affected are transferred to whoever the new contractor of choice will be for the completion of the Polmadie site.

"In the meantime, we will enact the available appeals processes on behalf of our members to protect their interests as best we can."

'Completely unacceptable'

Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said: "Viridor is getting paid out of public money. It is their inaction that has put our members in this situation. That is completely unacceptable.

"As far as we're concerned, our members are protected by Tupe regulations. Any employer trying to breach our members' rights will leave themselves open to possible legal action.

"We urge Viridor to urgently act to sort this situation out and we are calling on Glasgow City Council to help."

He added: "We are consulting with our lawyers and will do everything in our power to ensure that our members on this publicly-funded project are treated with dignity and respect - and that their legal rights are respected.

"We won't accept our members being left with this uncertainty - especially at this time of year."