A UNION claims hostile management at a £200m energy development are denying staff rightful support in an ongoing row over working conditions.

The Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (Ucatt) says bosses at Sita Sembcorp UK’s waste-to-energy plant, in Wilton, near Redcar, have made it impossible for them to access the site.

The union says it has concerns over wage rates and the safety of 300 construction workers, but cannot help staff due to management enforced restrictions.

However, a Sita spokesman refuted the allegations, saying it has had no contact from Ucatt.

The energy site, which will be operated by the Sita Sembcorp UK company, is expected to open in late 2016 and convert more than 400,000 tonnes of household waste from Merseyside into electricity and steam.

Construction is being managed by joint venture company CNIM Clugston Wilton, and Sita’s spokesman said it was previously deemed exceptional in a report by the Considerate Constructors Scheme for its treatment of staff and their safety.

However, Denis Doody, Ucatt’s Northern regional secretary, claimed bosses were not playing fair.

He said: “Management on the site have been extremely hostile.

“We have tried to gain normal access to speak to workers but that has been made virtually impossible.

“It appears as though management has something to hide.

“The company has never consulted us about pay and we have absolutely no idea what rates are being paid on the site.”

The allegations come after the Unite union accused bosses of pitting workers against each other by side-stepping industry standards to drive down wages.

The firm was also criticised by prospective Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston, who said he believes hundreds of foreign workers are being employed on the site at the expense of Teessiders.

However, the Sita spokesman denied it had been obstructive to Ucatt, saying its wage structure was over and above an industry agreement.

He added: “We refute the allegation any union representative was treated with extreme hostility and have received no formal complaint from Ucatt.

“In fact Ucatt, has not made direct contact with any of the Sita site management team at Wilton.

“We are happy to discuss official union access to the site.

“But permission to speak to site workers can only be granted by their direct employer which, in this case, would be any one of 15 separate sub contractors working on the site.

“Trade unions have been provided with contact details for these contractors so they can make their request for access to the workers directly to their employers.

“Wage rates for workers on the site undertaking civil engineering activities are at least equivalent to the construction industry joint council working rule agreement rates of pay; an agreement co-signed by Ucatt.”

The waste factory will create about 50 permanent posts when work starts, and is predicted to generate enough electricity to power about 63,000 homes by re-using waste that would have gone to landfill.

The waste, minus recyclable elements, will be brought to Teesside by rail.