Worker on Skanska site gets £8.80 after 39 hour week

An Eastern European builder on a Skanska NHS site took home £8.80 after a 39 hour week, in the worst case of construction employee abuse unions have seen.

The man was one of 12 migrants left almost destitute while working on Kings Mill Hospital in Mansfield.

According to industry guidelines and an agreement between unions and Skanska, workers on the site should have been earning £7 an hour.

But the men, not directly employed by Skanska but by a third subcontractor on site, had most of their wages deducted for rent, tool hire and utility bills.

The Guardian reports that payslips showed one man who worked 39 hours took home £8.80 after his entire monthly rent was deducted in a week and a second worker was paid £79.20 for a 63 hour week.

Employers are allowed to make deductions from their staff’s pay but the amount is limited to a maximum of £30.10 a week.

Ucatt general secretary Alan Ritchie said it was the worst case he had seen and that the workers were “virtually destitute”.

Local MP Michael Clapham is expected to raise the issue in parliament today, while the workers will receive back pay.