Union UCATT has slammed BAM Construction over the treatment of its officials during a visit to the V&A Museum of Design project site in Dundee.

The firm is currently underway with work on the £80 million scheme and completion is scheduled for 2018.

During a scheduled visit in September, UCATT said its officials were subjected to 'aggressive' behaviour from sub-contractors working for BAM, with managers hurling anti-union abuse at UCATT staff.

The organisation said workers were told to 'stay away from the canteen' while the union was on site, with workers also being told by managers 'don't talk to them, get back to work'.

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UCATT added it had written to Bam complaining about the behaviour of its sub-contractor managers, however the firm has failed to acknowledge their letters.

Steve Dillon, Regional Secretary for UCATT Scotland, said: "We will be back on site and won't let this issue drop till we've solved it. BAM is perpetuating a culture of fear and loathing. It is trying to stop workers joining a union to protect their rights. We are not going to stand idly by and allow the anti-union attitude of construction contractors who are benefiting directly from the public purse.

"Every measure will be taken to defend our right to represent construction workers. We will name, shame and expose these attitudes wherever we find them. And we will immediately engage with the Scottish Government – which is the client for this project – to seek the exclusion of contractors from this site who participate in the effective blacklisting of trade unions."

(LM)