Construction union UCATT have slammed ceiling company Pan Interiors after they carried out threats to make workers redundant and replace them with migrant workers on lower wages.

The employees concerned have been working for Pan Interiors on the multi million pound Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle.

Last week they received letters informing them that they were being given one week's notice that they were being made redundant.

When UCATT contacted the company's Managing Director Peter Fernberg, they were told that the workers would be made redundant if they did not agree to a pay cut, he was preparing to replace them with migrant workers and the reason was to reduce labour costs.

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UCATT had hoped that the company had agreed to delay the redundancies, while talks proceeded but at least half the workers on site, received letters on Saturday that they were being dismissed with immediate effect.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "The actions of this company are despicable. They are prepared to jettison their dedicated workers and quite openly exploit migrant workers, in order to save a few pounds. I hope the companies director's can sleep at night."

UCATT are now speaking directly to the main contractor Laing O'Rourke and the client in a attempt to force the company to reinstate the workers, or that Pan Interiors are removed from the site.

(CD/JM)