Unite the union has hit out after it was revealed that workers on the HS2 project are not being paid the correct overtime rates.

The union recently revealed how labour supplier Bowercross Construction Ltd which supplies workers to the Costain/Skanska joint venture (CSJV) which is undertaking enabling work on the HS2 project at Euston was not paying workers the rates, which on average was costing workers over £100 a week.

Following Unite's revelation CSJV issued a statement promising the correct rates would now be paid. It said: "We have looked into Unite's report concerning the industry agreement rate for overtime and weekend duty, as well as holiday entitlement. The company concerned has been instructed to remedy this with immediate effect so that we meet our required standards."

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Following a meeting with Peter Jones the project director of the CSJV, Unite was assured that Bowercross was already in receipt of the money to pay the workforce the correct overtime rates and that all workers would receive back pay for the money they had been underpaid.

However, after paying the correct overtime rates for two weeks, Bowercross has now informed the workers that it will not be paying the correct overtime rates, claiming it has found a 'loophole' in the relevant agreement which means they don’t have to.

Unite which is the signatory to the relevant agreement is not aware and cannot identify any such loophole.

The union has estimated that the workforce is owed a total in excess of £1 million in underpaid overtime.

Unite is now organising to challenge this decision industrially and will take legal action where appropriate if an early resolution to the issue cannot be found.