Union Unite has called for an investigation into the working conditions of employees building the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) project.

The joint venture scheme, which is being delivered by Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try, has been hit by the collapse of Carillion leaving it behind schedule, while concerns have been raised in the past over its poor safety record.

Adverts have now been discovered by Construction News which advertise for a wheeled excavator driver to work 'up to 15 hours a day plus weekends for 10-15 weeks'. A separate advert was aiming to recruit two 360 wheeled drivers to work for 70-80 hours a week for a six to eight week period.'

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Unite regional Co-Ordinating officer, Steve Dillon, called the latest revelations "disgusting" and slammed the long hours as "lethal".

"Workers cannot work safely undertaking such long hours, this is exactly how mistakes occur and too often result in tragic accidents," he said.

"This is the latest scandal to hit the troubled Aberdeen bypass and the Scottish government and the Health and Safety Executive simply can no longer sweep these problems under the carpet. There must be an immediate investigation into what is occurring and if necessary work should be stopped to ensure that safe, legal processes are in place.

"The rush to finish this already delayed project must not in any way be at the expense of workers' safety or conditions.

"Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try must be held fully accountable for these adverts, it is their project and they can't try to pass the blame onto others. To suggest they don't know what is happening on their own site is simply not acceptable."

(LM)