A chronic lack of construction workers could bring drive the proposed Commonwealth Games' developments to crises point, according to industry experts.

Over £570 million worth of new stadia, accommodation and infrastructure regeneration is required for the Games in 2014, but a boom in construction across the UK especially with the work for Olympic Games in London stepping up, workers have been able to name their price as demand for their skills escalates.

Wages for electricians for example have increased by 50 per cent, from £8.50 per hour to £13.


Many firms are also finding themselves in the all-to-infrequent position of being able to pick and choose which contract to bid for.

Organisers of the games are confident the games preparations will be ready by their 2012 deadline, but details of the severe labour shortages are only beginning to emerge. According to one source, Scotland will need an extra 6,800 construction workers, including 1,450 joiners and 670 bricklayers each year until 2011.

Alan Watt, the chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Scotland), said: "It's a huge challenge because the industry is working at or near full capacity and there is a lot of work going on in Scotland at the same time, the M74 completion, for example."

A spokeswoman for the Glasgow 2014 bid said: "This is not an issue which has been highlighted with us as a difficulty. We fully expect to get everything done well in advance of the games."

(DW/JM)