Vinci to face tribunal over racial discrimination claim

Vinci Norwest Holst is facing an employment tribunal action this month, after claims that white workers on its £24m schools contract in Bromley suffered racial discrimination.

The two bricklayers, being represented by UCATT, claim employer Ajit Contractors made them and other white workers redundant in favour of keeping on Indian and European workers at the Bishop Justus School project in Kent.

UCATT representative Michael Dooley told CJ: "When Ajit started on site it had no holiday pay in place, no PPE for its workers, was not affiliated to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme and had no idea of PAYE.

"When we first met up with Ajit, the meeting was held in a local McDonalds. This shows how seriously it was taking the matter."

Ajit Jutla, owner of Ajit Contracting, dismissed the claims and told CJ: "These are all lies. We have 25 white workers, seven or eight Indian employees and five or six Europeans on our books. As for the other issues raised, we would have never been selected by Norwest Holst if we didn’t have everything in place."