UK unions are protesting outside the offices of a major energy from waste (EfW) plant financier in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The protest is taking place today, 13 June against Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the investment arm of Pension Danmark.

Unions Unite and GMB have accused Danish pensions bosses of 'washing their hands' of the undercutting of pay and conditions for workers on a number of construction projects in the UK.

Unite said pay rates of workers are being undercut through social dumping on plants in Rotherham, Yorkshire and Sandwich in Kent. Rates being offered via Danish sub-contractors Babcock & Wilcox Vølund and Burmesiter & Wain Scandinavian Contractor are reportedly up to 61% below the agreed rates of the relevant collective agreements.

Babcock & Wilcox Vølund are undertaking the work at Rotherham, while Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S are responsible for the project in Sandwich Kent.

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Babcok & Wilcox Vølund is sub-contracting work to Croatian company Duro Dakovic . However, Unite said the company has ignored the appropriate collective agreement and is paying Croatian workers the minimum wage of £7.20 an hour, when the appropriate collective agreement for engineering construction workers (NAECI) is £16.97 an hour with a bonus of £2.37 an hour.

Elsewhere, Unite said Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor is refusing to allow trade unions on site as well as refusing to follow the NAECI agreement and don't pay the bonus, industry sick pay, enhanced holiday pay, travel and accommodation allowances, benefit entitlements for death and disablement, unfair dismissal procedures after four weeks along with many other benefits.

Both projects are being financed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. However, senior vice-president Jens-Christian Stouguard has refused to meet with the unions over the issue, claiming it is a matter for the sub-contractors.

Unite national officer for construction, Bernard McAulay, said: "The senior representatives at Pension Danmark are doing a good impression of Pontius Pilate by trying to wash their hands of the exploitation which is occurring on their projects.

"Highly skilled workers feel betrayed by the failure of Pension Danmark to observe its corporate social responsibility policies.

"Since the unions exposed this appalling exploitation, there have been warm words from one contractor but no action, while rates continue to be undercut and the resentment of workers increases.

"We call upon the Pension Danmark board of directors to meet with the UK trade unions instead of continuing to look for excuses and move swiftly to end the abuses that are occurring on their projects. They have put in the investment and therefore are ultimately responsible for what occurs on their projects."

(LM/MH)