TRADE union members in north-east England protested at a construction site yesterday over bosses’ importation of overseas workers to undercut UK workers’ wages.

Members of general union GMB said the bosses’ action was a “betrayal” of local construction workers and launched their protest at 6am at the Port Clarence Renewable Energy Plant in Teesside.

Babcock, Wilcox Velund (BWV) is building the new biomass plant and has awarded a thermal insulation contract to Thermika, a Polish company which brought in its own labour on what GMB says are worse terms and conditions than the national rates for the industry.

GMB organiser Tom Allison said: “At a very precarious time for British construction and manufacturing it’s absolutely scandalous a firm can be allowed to bring in labour from overseas to undercut the local workforce.”

GMB called on Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen to intervene.

The plant owner is Glennmont Partners.