POLICE were called to a demonstration at the site of a new power plant in Redcar this morning (Friday March 6).

Members of the Unite and GMB unions were protesting at the gates of the Wilton International site near Redcar.

Unions have accused the consortium Sita Sembcorp of using low-paid foreign labour and underpaying local workers at the waste incinerator.

Sita, the company leading the consortium, has denied it is underpaying workers.

Protestors are concerned that foreign workers are being used to undercut local workers, but also that local workers on the site are not being paid nationally agreed rates.

GMB member Stan Jackson, also part of the newly formed Teesside Construction Committee, said: "I'm a welder by trade and can't find work at the minute. Employers and unions have an agreement to take on local workers but that is clearly not happening here.

"I am certainly not against foreign workers, this is about the firm employing workers who are happy to undercut local workers. I'm 59-years-old and don't consider myself finished by any stretch of the imagination but a scheme as big as this would be perfect to get young people into apprenticeships and train the next generation of skilled workers. This is not happening on this site and it should be."

Stephen Smith, of Unite, said: "Like many people in the construction industry I have worked abroad to fill skills gaps before but there are people in the area looking for work and they are unable to get it because they are being priced out of the market."

Andy Stokes, Sita Sembcorp project director said: “We are surprised and disappointed at this further protest given the meeting we had with Unite, GMB and UCATT on Monday, where agreement was reached on providing the unions with access to site to discuss pay rates and union membership with workers."

Cleveland Police said that all four entrances to the site were affected by the protest, which ended at about 9am.