A joint venture company consisting of Skanska-Costain-Strabag
that is seriously hindering legitimate trade union access to
construction workers building the Euston tunnels of the HS2
railway has been called out by Unite the union.
Unite construction members will be holding a central London
demonstration outside the Skanska-Costain-Strabag Joint Venture
site on Friday (6 August) over the consortium’s flouting of the
HS2 agreement by not allowing union officials ‘meaningful’ access
to the site.
The HS2 protest will be at the corner of Hampstead Road and
Roberts Street NW1 3EL (close to Euston Station, London) from 12
midday to 14:00 on Friday (6 August).
The demonstration is the start of a long term campaign to stop
the union-busting activities of companies like Skanska and
Costain which are renowned for blacklisting union members.
Unite national officer for construction Jerry Swain said: “This
joint venture made up of leading construction companies have
union-busting ingrained in their DNA and a burning desire to
break the strong bond between Unite and construction workers –
that will never happen.
“These companies loathe Unite as we stand up for our members in
all weathers fighting and campaigning for decent pay and
employment conditions, as well as the highest possible health
& safety standards in the industry.
“We have already found Costain/Skanska sites on HS2 where workers
have been robbed of overtime rates, death and serious injury
cover, paid holidays and workers paid through payroll companies -
we don’t need to ask what they have to hide because we know.
“Now they are breaking the HS2 agreement by not allowing Unite
officials’ meaningful access to the site – we will continue to
protest at the unacceptable behaviour of this multi-national
joint venture until they realise that agreements freely entered
into can’t be so easily discarded.
“These demonstrations will not only continue, with the ensuing
reputational damage to the companies involved, but will spread to
include other areas where Skanska-Costain-Strabag currently work.
We will not stop until union officials are allowed on site.”
